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TWELVE 


SERMONS  TO   THE  AGED. 


/ 

V 


BY  REV.  GEORGE  BURDER, 

AUTHOR  OF  VILLAGE  SERMONS,  COTTAGE  SERMONS,  &C 


PUBLISHED  BY   THE 

AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

No.  144  Nassau-street  New-York. 


TWELVE 


SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED. 


BY  REV.  GEORGE  BURDER, 

AOTHOR  OF  VlLtAGS  SERMONS,  COTTAGE  SERUOKS,  &0b 

I         3nP    111992 


PUBLISHED  BT  THE 

AMERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY, 

No.  144  Nassau-street  New-York. 


COSTTZSIVTS 


No.  1.— THE  INFIRMITIES  OF  AGE. 

Eccles.  12  :  1. — The  years-^wheii  thou  shalt  say — ^I  have 
no  pleasure  in  them. 

No.  2.— CHRISTIAN  PATIENCE. 

Heh,  10 :  36. — For  ye  have  need  of  patience. 

No.  3.— PENITENT  REFLECTIONS. 

Gen.  41 :  9. — I  do  remember  my  faults  this  day. 

No.  4.— GRATEFUL  RECOLLECTIONS. 

Psalm  103  :  2.— Bless  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not 
all  his  benefits. 

No.  5.— THE  CONVERSION  OF  MANASSEH. 

2  Chron,  33 :  12,  13. — And  when  he  was  in  affliction,  he 
besought  the  Lord  his  God,  and  humbled  himself  greatly 
before  the  God  of  his  fathers,  and  prayed  unto  him :  and 
he  was  entreated  of  him,  and  heard  his  supplication,  and 
brought  him  again  to  Jerusalem  into  his  kingdom.  Then 
Manasseh  knew  that  the  Lord  he  was  God. 

No.  6.— THE  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED. 

Titus,  2  :  2. — That  the  aged  men  be  sober,  grave,  tempe- 
rate, sound  in  faith,  in  charity,  in  patience. 

No.  7.— DOUBTS  AND  FEARS  REPROVED. 

ha,  40 :  27— 31. —Why  say  est  thou,  O  Jacob,  and  speak- 
est,  O  Israel,  My  way  is  hid  from  the  Lord,  and  my 
judgment  is  passed  over  from  my  God  ?     Hast  thou  not 


IV.  CONTENTS. 

known?  hast  tliou  not  heard,  that  the  everlasting  God,  the 
Lord,  the  Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth,  fainteth  not, 
neither  is  weary?  there  is  no  searching  of  his  understand- 
ing. He  giveth  power  to  the  faint ;  and  to  them  that 
have  no  might  he  increaseth  strength ;  even  the  youths 
shall  faint  and  be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall  utterly 
fall :  but  they  that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their 
strength  ;  they  shall  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles ;  they 
shall  run,  and  not  be  weary  ;  and  they  shall  walk,  and  not 
faint. 

No.  8.— THE  VANITY  OF  THE  WORLD. 

Eccles.  1  :  2. — ^Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher,  Vanity 
of  vanities ;  all  is  vanity. 

No.  9.— THE  RIGHTEOUS  NOT  FORSAKEN. 

Psalm  71 :  9. — Cast  me  not  off  in  the  time  of  old  age ;  for- 
sake me  not  when  my  strength  faileth. 

No.  10.— THE  AGED  PILGRIM. 

Oen,  47  :  8, 9. — And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Jacob,  How'old 
art  thou  ?  And  Jacob  said  unto  Pharaoh,  The  days  of 
the  years  of  my  pilgrimage  are  an  hundred  and  thirty 
years  :  few  and  evil  have  the  days  of  the  years  of  my  life 
been,  and  have  not  attained  unto  the  days  of  the  years  of 
the  life  of  my  fathers  in  the  days  of  their  pilgrimage. 

No-  11.— PEACE  IN  DEATH ;  or,  SIMEON'S 
SONG. 

Luke,  2 :  29,  30. — Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  de- 
part in  peace,  according  to  thy  word  :  for  mine  eyes  have 
seen  thy  salvation. 

No.  12.— THE  CHRISTIAN'S  LAST  PRAYER 

Acts,  7 :  59.— Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit. 


SBRMOnrS  TO  TH3S   A6BD...2Xro,  1, 


THE   INFIRMITIES   OF  AGE. 


The  years — when  thou  shalt  say — I  have  no  pleasure 
in  them, — Eccl.  12 : 1. 

When  Solomon,  the  wisest  of  men,  exhorted  the 
young  to  "  remember  their  Creator  in  the  days  of 
their  youth,"  he  gave  this  good  reason  for  it — ^that 
the  season  of  youth  was  a  more  favorable  time  for 
religion  than  the  season  of  age ;  for  old  people  gene- 
rally find  their  "  last  days"  to  be  *'  evil  days" — so 
full  of  pain  and  trouble  that  they  have  little  or  no 
pleasure  in  them. 

It  is  a  sad  thing  that  so  few  young  people  take 
Solomon's  advice :  they  are  too  apt  to  forget  God, 
and  to  put  off  the  great  concerns  of  their  souls  from 
year  to  year ;  they  foolishly  think  that  it  will  be  time 
enough  to  serve  God  when  they  are  old :  but  if  they 
live  to  be  old,  they  will  find  their  mistake,  and  that 
they  are  less  fit  to  serve  him  than  ever ;  for  the  bad 
habits  of  the  aged  are  so  confirmed,  their  hearts  have 
become  so  hard,  and  their  infirmities  so  great,  that 
they  are  forced  to  say :  All  our  pleasures  are  dead 
and  gone,  and  we  feel  ourselves  fit  for  nothing,  and 
especially  unfit  for  those  great  duties  of  religion 
which  ought  to  have  been  our  first  and  chief  concern ; 


2  SERMONS    TO    THE   AOED«  [2 

for  the  care  of  the  soul  is  certainly,  "  the  one  thing 
needful." 

While,  however,  there  is  life,  there  is  hope ;  and 
although  '*  the  evil  days  are  come,"  and  the  plea- 
sures of  sense  are  gone  ;  yet,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
it  is  possible  that  the  pains  and  infirmities  you  feel 
may  lead  you  to  serious  reflection  on  the  sins  and 
follies  of  yoiu'  past  days ;  may  lead  you  to  true  re- 
pentance for  your  offences ;  and  to  earnest  prayer  to 
God  for  his  pardoning  mercy  through  Jesus  Christ, 
and  for  the  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  renew  and 
sanctify  your  hearts,  and  make  you  fit  for  a  better 
world. 

To  assist  you  in  these  endeavors,  we  shall,  Firsts 
Take  a  view  of  the  infirmities  of  old  age ;  and,  Se- 
condly^  Show  you  what  are  the  lessons  which  you 
ought  to  learn  from  them. 

King  Solomon,  who  was  a  wise  observer  of  human 
nature,  and  who  is  said  to  have  been  old  himself 
when  he  wrote  this  book,  gives  us,  in  the  verses  after 
the  text,  a  full  description  of  the  infirmities  of  age, 
expressed  in  what  is  called  a  figurative  manner,  the 
substance  of  which  is  easily  understood,  though,  from 
not  knowing  perfectly  the  customs,  or  the  proverbial 
sayings,  to  which  he  alludes,  we  may  not  be  able 
exactly  to  explain  every  part  of  them. 

In  the  second  verse  Solomon  describes  old  age  by 
the  darkening  of  the  sun,  the  moon,  and  the  stars ; 
and  the  return  of  the  clouds  after  the  rain.  When 
thick  and  heavy  clouds  obscure  the  cheerful  light  of 
the  sua  by  day,  or  of  the  moon  and  stars  by  night. 


3]  INFiBMITIES    OF    AGE.  3 

people  complain  of  the  dulness  of  the  weather,  as  it 
checks  their  pursuits  both  of  business  and  pleasure ; 
and  thus  it  is  in  old  age :  afflictions  of  body  and 
troubles  of  mind  often  produce  a  gloom ;  the  days 
are  dull,  the  nights  are  wearisome,  and  none  of  that 
pleasure  is  felt  which  the  young,  who  have  health, 
strength,  and  lively  spirits,  generally  enjoy.  And 
then,  it  is  added,  "the  clouds  return  after  the  rain" — 
that  is,  one  pain  and  affliction  succeeds  another,  a& 
the  clouds  often  do  in  a  rainy  season.  In  showery 
weather,  the  clouds  sometimes  disperse,  the  clear 
shining  of  .the  sun  succeeds  for  a  little  while ;  but  soon 
the  sky  is  overcast  again,  and  a  heavy  shower  de- 
scends. And  thus  in  old  age  ;  painful  disorders  are 
sometimes  remitted ;  and  the  hope  that  health  is  re- 
turning is  indulged ;  but,  alas !  the  interval  of  ease  is 
short;  the  pain  is  renewed — "  the  clouds  return  after 
the  rain." 

Another  infirmity  of  age  is  thus  expressed  :  "  The 
keepers  of  the  house  tremble" — ^the  hands  and  arms, 
like  faithful  watchmen,  were  always  ready  to  defend 
the  body  from  assaults  and  dangers;  but  these  be- 
come feeble ;  are  sometimes  tremulous  by  palsey ; 
and  can  no  longer  prove  a  sufficient  guard  from  as- 
saults or  accidents.  In  like  manner,  "  the  strong 
men  bow  themselves."  The  legs  and  thighs,  which, 
in  youth,  were  like  strong  men,  able  to  bear  a  heavy 
burden,  are  now  become  feeble,  and  too  weak  to  bear 
the  weight  of  the  body,  whieh  totters  from  side  to 
side,  and  without  assistance,  is  in  danger  of  falling 
to  the  ground.   The  foresight  of  such  a  state  led  th^ 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [4 

Psalmist  to  pray,  "  Cast  me  not  off  in  the  time  of 
old  age;  forsake  me  not  when  my  strength  faileth." 

The  failure  of  the  teeth,  so  useful  in  preparing  the 
food  for  its  digestion  in  the  stomach,  is  another  infir- 
mity of  age,  which  the  wise  man  thus  expresses ; 
*'  The  grinders  shall  cease  because  they  are  few :" 
the  teeth  which,  in  youth,  grind  the  food  like  the 
stones  in  a  corn-mill,  are  decayed,  or  loose,  or  totally 
lost ;  so  that  some  kinds  of  food  cannot  be  eaten  at 
all,  and  others  are  very  imperfectly  prepared  for  the 
stomach. 

In  old  age  the  sight  usually  fails  more  or  less,  and, 
in  many  mournful  cases,  is  totally  lost.  Solomon 
thus  describes  this  affliction,  "  Those  who  look  out 
of  the  windows  are  darkened."  The  eyes  have  been 
justly  called  "  the  windows  of  the  soul."  From  these 
windows,  the  mind  surveys  with  pleasure  the  faces 
of  dear  relations  and  friends,  and  the  delightful  pros- 
pects of  nature ;  discovers  the  approaches  of  danger, 
and  reads  the  page  of  instruction.  But  all  these 
sources  of  pleasure  and  safety  are  closed;  the  day 
is  gone ;  the  night,  the  long  dark  night,  which  will 
know  no  morning  in  this  life,  is  come ;  and  half  the 
world,  as  to  our  enjoyment  of  it,  is  shut  out  for  the 
rest  of  our  days. 

"  The  doors  shall  be  shut  in  the  streets,  when  the 
sound  of  the  grinding  is  low."  There  seems  to  be  an 
allusion  here  to  the  custom  of  the  ancients,  who, 
early  in  the  morning,  as  soon  as  the  doors  of  the 
house  were  opened,  ground  their  corn  for  the  day, 
in  a  hand-mill.   If  this  refers  to  the  grinding  of  food 


Sj  INFIRMITIES    OP    AGE.  B 

by  the  teeth,  then  it  may  signify  the  want  of  appe- 
tite, and  the  refusal  of  food.  Or  it  may  signify  their 
loving  to  stay  at  home,  and  keeping  the  doors  of  the 
house  shut,  to  prevent  being  disturbed  by  company. 
Others  think  it  refers  to  '*  th>e  door  of  the  Jips,'* 
and  the  aversion  of  aged  people  to  speak  much, 
especially  in  public. 

"  And  he  shall  rise  up  at  the  voice  of  the  bird." 
Old  Age  is  usually  wakeful.  Sleep,  ^^  the  sweet 
restorer  of  wearied  nature,"  often  departs  from  the 
eyes  of  the  aged ;  or  if  they  sleep,  they  are  easily 
disturbed.  Even  the  crowing  of  the  cock,  or  the 
chirping  of  the  birds,  will  awake  them ;  and  often, 
unable  to  rest,  and  tired  of  bed,  they  will  rise  at  a 
very  early  hour. 

*'  And  all  the  daughters  of  music  shall  be  brought 
low."  Age  generally  loses  its  relish  for  music  and 
singing.  That  which  was,  perhaps,  a  great  delight, 
becomes  rather  a  burden ;  the  breathing  is  short 
and  the  voice  is  tremulous.  Aged  Barzillai,  whom 
king  David  would  have  taken  to  court,  declined  the 
proposal,  saying,  "  I  am  this  day  fourscore  years 
old — can  I  hear  any  more  the  voice  of  singing  men, 
and  singing  women?  wherefore,  then,  should  thy 
servant  be  yet  a  burden  to  my  lord  the  king. 

Another  token  of  old  age  is,  "  They  shall  be 
afraid  of  that  which  is  high,  and  fears  shall  be  in  the 
way."  Steep  ascents  are  very  difficult  to  the  aged; 
a  hill  alarms  their  fears,  for  it  threatens  to  produce 
much  pain  and  weariness.  Travelling  now  seems 
formidable  to  them.     The  young  are  often  too  bold.. 


^  SERMONS  TO    THE  AGED.  [6 

and  venture  into  needless  dangers  ;  and  the  old  are 
too  timorous,  and  full  of  fear  lest  mischief  should 
befall  them.  They  prefer,  therefore,  staying  at 
home,  and  not  exposing  themselves  to  harm  abroad. 

"  The  almond  tree  shall  flourish  "  The  almond 
rree,  with  its  white  blossoms,  is  a  beautiful  emblem  of 
the  hoary  head.  Gray  or  white  hairs  are  the  com- 
mon symptoms  of  age,  and  may  be  considered  as 
truly  ornamental ;  for  "the  glory  of  young  men  is 
their  strength,  and  the  beauty  and  honor  of  old 
men  is  the  gray  head."  Prov.  20:  29.  God  him- 
self put  honor  upon  it  in  the  law,  saying,  "  Thou 
shalt  rise  up  before  the  hoary  head,  and  honor  the 
face  of  the  old  man,  and  fear  thy  God :  I  am  the 
Lord."  Levit.  19:  32.  But  let  the  aged  remember 
that  these  blossoms  are  certain  intimations  of  the 
approach  of  death  :  they  have  been  called  "  church- 
yard flowers,"  which,  as  one  says,  "  may  serve  to 
them  that  bear  them,  instead  of  passing  bells,  to 
give  them  certain  notice  whither  they  are  shortly 
going." 

"  And  the  grasshopper  shall  be  a  burden."  This 
signifies  the  extreme  feebleness  of  the  aged,  when 
the  lightest  thing  may  be  a  load  ;  when  reduced  to 
such  weakness  and  nervous  sensibility  that  the  least 
mconvenience,  though  it  may  be  as  trifling  as  the 
weight  or  the  chirping  of  an  insect,  may  vex  and 
fret  them. 

«'  And  desire  shall  fail."  Those  animal  passions 
and  desires  which  in  youth  were  so  strong  and 
violent,  and  too  often  the  occasion  of  so  much  sin? 


^]  INFIRMITIES    OP  AGE.  7 

now  gradually  decline,  as  years  increase  and  strength 
decays.  And  it  is  well  it  is  so,  for  now  it  is  high 
time  to  get  the  heart  weaned  from  the  world  and  a 
life  of  sense,  and  to  "  set  the  affections  upon  things 
above." 

"  Then  shall  the  silver  cord  be  loosed — the  golden 
bowl  broken — the  pitcher  be  broken  at  the  fountain, 
and  the  wheel  broken  at  the  cistern."  The  whole 
verse  seems  to  be  a  description  of  the  functions  of 
life  taken  from  a  well  where  there  is  a  cord  to  the 
bowl  or  bucket,  with  which  the  water  is  drawn  up ; 
a  wheel,  by  which  more  easily  to  raise  it ;  a  cistern 
into  which  it  may  be  poured  ;  and  a  pitcher  or  vessel 
to  carry  it  away  with ;  but  now  all  these  are  broken 
and  become  useless.  Thus,  at  death,  the  lungs 
cease  to  play,  the  heart  ceases  to  beat,  the  blood  to 
circulate  ;  ihe  whole  surprising  contrivance  for  form- 
ing and  circulating  the  blood,  from  the  fountain  of 
the  heart  to  every  extremity  of  the  body,  is  now 
entirely  deranged.* 

What  follows  this  derangement  ?  "  Then  shall 
the  dust  return  to  the  earth  as  it  was,  and  the  spirit 
shall  return  unto  God  who  gave  it."  "  Then,  man 
goeth  to  his  long  home,  and  the  mourners  go  about 
the  streets." 

"  How  solemn  are  these  words !  They  demand 
our  most  serious  attention.  When  death  takes 
place,  a  separation  is  made  between  the  mortal  body 
and  the  immortal  spirit.  The  body,  soon  corrupt, 
must  be  buried  out  of  sight,  and  quickly  returns  to 

*  Scott's  Commentary. 


8  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [8 

its  mother — earth.  But  the  spirit — ^the  immortal 
spirit ! — what  becomes  of  that  ?  Does  it  cease  to 
exist?  No:  "  It  retmns  to  God  who  gave  it,"  to  be 
disposed  of  according  to  his  holy  and  sovereign 
pleasure.  If  the  spirit  had  been  renewed  by  grace, 
and  made  meet  for  glory,  it  departs  from  the  body 
to  be  with  Christ — "  absent  from  the  body,  present 
with  the  Lord ;"  for  "  blessed  are  the  dead  which 
die  in  the  Lord."  But  if  the  sinner  die  in  a  graceless 
state,  unpardoned  and  unrenewed,  it  sinks  into  end- 
less perdition.  The  spirits  of  the  just  are  made 
perfect,  and  immediately  pass  into  glory ;  but  the 
spirits  of  the  wicked  "goto  their  own  place,"  as 
Judas  did,  and,  with  the  ungodly  rich  man  in  the 
parable,  are  tormented. 

"  The  mourners  go  about  the  streets."  Most  men 
die  lamented  by  some,  either  sincerely,  or  in  ap- 
pearance. A  funeral  is  a  solemn  sight,  and  ought 
to  be  conducted  and  viewed  with  deep  seriousness. 
The  mourners  are  conveying  a  dear  relation,  a  kind 
friend,  or  a  valued  neighbor,  to  his  "  long  home" — 
so  the  grave  is  here,  with  great  propriety,  styled  his 
Img  home.  The  deceased  had,  perhaps,  resided  in 
various  dwellings,  during  the  course  of  a  long  life. 
He  removed  from  one  habitation  to  another,  as 
occasion  required  ;  but  the  grave  is  his  last,  his  long 
home.  Thus,  as  Job  speaks,  "  Man  lieth  down,  and 
riseth  not  till  the  heavens  be  no  more :  they  shall 
not  awake,  nor  be  raised  out  of  their  sleep."  But, 
as  St.  Paul  assures  us,  "  the  trumpet  shall  sound, 
and  the  dead  shall  be  raised ;"  and  then,  saith  Job, 


9]  INFIRMITIES  OP    AGE.  9 

**  Thou  shalt  call,  and  I  will  answer  thee  :  thou  wilt 
have  a  desire  to  the  work  of  thy  hands."  Job,  14: 
12—15. 

II.  Let  us  now  consider  what  are  the  lessons 
which  the  infirmities  of  age  ought  to  teach  us. 

In  the  first  place  they  teach  us  the  evil  of  sin.  If 
sin  had  not  entered  into  the  world,  these  infirmities 
would  not  have  been  known.  There  would  have 
been  no  pains  and  achs,  no  failure  of  hearing  and 
sight,  no  wearisome  days,  no  sleepless  nights.  These 
are  all  the  fruits  and  effects  of  sin.  If  .nan  had  not 
sinned,  he  would  not  have  suffered  by  age,  any  more 
than  angels  do  :  they  have  lived  many  thousand 
years,  and  they  still  enjoy  all  the  vigor  of  youth ; 
but  man  lives  several  years  before  he  attains  matu- 
rity ;  his  manly  vigor  lasts  but  a  little  while,  and 
then  he  fades  like  a  leaf,  or  withers  like  a  flower ; 
*'  The  wind  passeth  over  it,  and  it  is  gone,  and  the 
place  thereof  knoweth  it  no  more."  Surely,  then, 
the  aged  man  should  reflect  on  the  evil  of  sin, 
which  is  the  sad  cause  of  all  his  suft'erings ;  for  sin 
is  the  disease,  and  all  our  afflictions  are  but  the 
symptoms  of  it.  In  some  cases  the  aged  may  per- 
ceive that  particular  sufferings  are  the  eflfects  of 
particular  sins ;  and  may  cry,  with  one  of  old, 
•*  Thou  writest  bitter  things  against  me,  and  makest 
me  to  possess  the  iniquities  of  my  youth  ;  (Job,  13: 
26;)  or,  as  it  is  in  another  place,  "His  bones  are 
full  of  the  sin  of  his  youth,  which  shall  lie  down  with 
him  in  the  dust."     Job,  20:  11. 

The  certain  approach  of  death  is  another  lesson 


10  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [10 

taught  by  the  infirmities  of  age.  The  young  may 
die,  but  the  aged  must.  Death  may  be  near  a  man 
at  any  age ;  but  it  m^ist  be  very  near  the  old  man. 
"As  the  Lord  liveth,  there  is  but  a  step  between 
thee  and  death."  It  is  at  the  door.  Do  not  you 
hear  it  knock?  Your  aching  Umbs,  your  failing  sight, 
your  trembling  hand,  are  all  certain  signs  of  the 
great  approaching  change.  Are  you,  then,  prepared 
to  die .?  Have  you  beheved  in  Christ  ?  Have  you,  as 
a  guilty  sinner,  fled  to  him  for  refuge  ?  Has  your 
heart  been  renewed  by  grace  ?  Are  you  become  "a 
new  creature  in  Christ  Jesus?"  Are  you  "made 
meet,"  by  the  spirit  of  God,  "  for  the  inheritance 
of  the  saints  in  light  ?" 

These  are  some  of  the  questions  which  you  ought 
to  ask  yourselves.  Put  these  questions  to  your 
hearts,  and  rest  not  without  honest  answers  to  them. 
If  you  have  neglected  the  care  of  your  soul  till  now, 
how  deeply  should  you  repent  the  shameful  delay ; 
and  how  earnest  should  you  be  in  your  prayers  for 
the  pardoning  mercy  of  God,  through  Jesus  Christ, 
that  now,  though  it  be  so  late,  even  at  the  eleventh 
hour,  you  may  obtain  the  salvation  you  have  hitherto 
sHo-hted  and  refused.  Not  a  moment  more  must  be 
lest.  O  then,  "  Seek  the  Lord  while  he  may  be 
found,  call  upon  him  while  he  is  near.  Let  the 
wicked  forsake  his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man 
his  thoughts  ;  and  let  him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and 
he  will  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God,  for 
he  will  abundantly  pardon." 

But  let  the  believer  rejoice ;  for  his  redemption 


11]  IJtfPIRMITlES   OP   AGE.  Jl 

draweth  nigh.  It  is  nearer  than  when  he  first  be- 
heved.  While  you  remain  in  the  body,  Christ  will 
continue  to  support  and  comfort  you.  God  is  faithful, 
who  will  not  suffer  you  to  be  tried  above  what  you 
are  able  to  bear.  As  your  day  is,  so  shall  your 
strength  be.  God  will  give  you  patience  to  endure 
all  your  pains  and  infirmities ;  and  he  has  said,  I 
will  never,  never  leave  nor  forsake  you  ;  and  then, 
in  his  own  good  time,  he  will  relieve  you  from  the 
burden  of  the  flesh,  and  give  you  an  abundant 
entrance  into  his  eternal  kingdom  and  glory. 

Yet  a  season,  and  you  know 
Happy  entrance  will  be  given ; 

All  our  sorrows  left  below, 

x\nd  earth  exchang'd  for  heaven. 


PRAYER. 

Eternal  God :  thou  hast  been  the  dwelling-place 
of  thy  people  in  all  generations.  Before  the  moun- 
tains were  brought  forth,  or  ever  tliou  hadst  formed 
the  earth  and  the  world,  even  from  everlastino-  to 
everlasting  thou  art  God ;  but  thou  turnest  men  to 
destruction,  and  sayest.  Return,  ye  children  of  men. 
Thou  didst  make  man  upright,  in  thy  own  holy 
image  ;  but  soon  man  fell  by  his  transgression,  and 
was  doomed  to  death.  By  one  man  sin  entered 
into  the  world,  and  death  by  sin ;  so  that  death  passeth 
upon  all  men,  for  that  all  have  sinned  :  and  death  rs 


12  SERMONS    TO   THE    AGED.  [12 

often  preceded  by  a  long  train  of  infirmities  and 
diseases,  especially  in  old  age.  If  the  days  of  our 
years  exceed  three  score  years  and  ten,  they  become 
labor  and  sorrow.  O  sanctify  these  sorrows  to  thy 
servant.  May  they  embitter  sin  ;  may  they  cause  me 
to  turn  away  mine  eyes  from  beholding  vanity  ;  may 
they  wean  me  from  this  vain  world,  which  I  must 
soon  leave.  May  all  the  sins  of  a  long  life  be  par- 
doned, through  faith  in  the  blood  of  Jesus  ;  and  may 
the  Holy  Spirit,  the  sanctifier,  renew  my  soul,  and 
make  it  meet  for  the  heavenly  inheritance.  These 
blessings  I  do  earnestly  desire,  for  the  sake  of  Jesus 
Christ,  the  only  Mediator  and  Advocate;  to  whom, 
with  the  Father  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  be  glory  for 
ever  and  ever.     Amen. 

In  age  and  feebleness  extreme, 
Who  shall  a  helpless  worm  redeem? 
Jesus,  my  only  hope  thou  art. 
Strength  of  my  failing  flesh  and  heart ! 
O  could  I  catch  a  smile  from  Thee, 
And  drop  into  eternity ! 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE  ASIERICAN  TRACT  SOCIETY. 


sBRXMEonrs  "ro  THS  Aas:B...xuo.  2. 


CHRISTIAxN    PATIENCE. 


For  ye  have  need  of  Patience. — Heb.  10;  36. 


"  Man  is  born  to  trouble :"  it  is  his  lot,  and  he 
cannot  avoid  it.  He  may  have  need  of  patience  at 
any  time  of  life ;  but  in  old  age  he  is  sure  to  need  it. 
Youth  is  the  season  of  activity  and  pleasure ;  but  old 
age  is  usually  the  season  of  pain  and  suffering ;  and 
then  patience  becomes  more  necessary  than  ever. 
Trials  and  troubles  usually  abound  more  in  the  close 
of  life  than  at  any  former  period ;  and  one  great  de- 
sign of  God  in  sending  them,  is  to  produce  patience. 
St.  Paul  says,  "  Tribulation  worketh  patience ;"  it 
gives  occasion  for  it,  and  it  is  overruled  to  beget,  im- 
prove, and  confirm  a  quiet  submission  to  the  afflictino- 
hand  of  God ;  and  when  "  patience  has  its  proper 
and  perfect  work,"  it  produces  experience — an  expe- 
rience of  the  power  and  grace  of  God,  in  supporting 
and  comforting  us  under  the  rod ;  and  of  the  since- 
rity and  uprightness  of  our  hearts  in  submitting  to 
it :  all  which  tends  to  increase  and  confirm  "  the  hope 
of  glory"  through  Jesus  Christ. 

Patience  is  a  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  whereby  a 


2  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [14 

Christian  endures,  with  calmness  of  mind,  and  quiet 
submission  to  the  will  of  God,  those  sufferings  which 
he  is  pleased  to  permit. 

It  stands  opposed  to  the  pride,  rebellion,  and 
stubbornness,  which  resent  the  visitation ;  fret  and 
murmur ;  complain  of  it  as  hard,  cruel,  and  unjust ; 
and  sometimes  resort  to  sinful  means  of  getting  re- 
lief. How  many  afflicted  persons,  instead  of  exercis- 
ing or  praying  for  patience,  fly  to  vain  and  hurtful 
amusements  for  help ;  and  others  seek  a  miserable 
refuge  in  strong  drink — the  bane  and  the  ruin  of 
thousands,  both  in  body  and  soul ;  while  others,  im- 
patient to  the  utmost  degree,  put  an  end  to  their 
earthly  existence. 

Sinful  impatience  is  compared  in  Scripture  to 
the  rage  of  "  a  wild  bull  caught  in  a  net,"  or  to  the 
struggles  of  an  ox  not  used  to  draw  the  plough. 
Thus  it  once  was  with  Ephraim,  as  mentioned  in  Je- 
remiah, 31 :  18,  &c.  "  I  have  surely  heard  Ephraim 
bemoaning  himself  thus :  Thou  hast  chastised  me, 
and  I  was  chastised,  as  a  bullock  unaccustomed  to 
the  yoke," — he  was  like  an  unruly  beast,  not  used  to 
the  yoke,  and  unwilling  to  bear  it,  but  resenting  the 
confinement,  disliking  the  labor,  and  therefore  kick- 
ing against  the  goads  used  by  the  driver,  which  only 
made  the  suffering  greater.  But  a  happy  change  took 
place  in  Ephraim,  as  it  follows  :  *'  Surely  after  that  I 
was  instructed  and  turned" — taught  of  God,  and 
converted  to  God,  then  "  I  smote  on  my  thigh,"  as 
the  penitent  publican  did  on  his  breast — "  I  was 
ashamed,  yea,  even  confounded,  because  I  did  bear 


15]  CHRISTIAN   PATIENCE  3 

the  reproach  of  my  youth."  Observe  that  the  sin  of 
youth  is  the  reproach  of  youth ;  it  is  their  shame  and 
disgrace,  though  too  often  they  glory  in  their  shame ; 
but  if  aged  men  are  converted  men,  they  will  be  peni- 
tent men ;  and  if  penitent,  they  will  be  patient,  and 
reconciled  to  the  rod  of  affliction  with  which  they  are 
chastised.  Such  a  disposition  is  pleasing  to  God,  who 
is  styled  "  The  God  of  Patience,"  and  who  says  to 
every  penitent,  as  to  Ephraim,  verse  20,  "IsEphraim 
my  dear  son?  Is  he  a  pleasant  child?  for  since  I  spake 
against  him,  I  do  earnestly  remember  him  still ;  there- 
fore my  bowels  are  troubled  for  him ;  I  will  surely 
have  mercy  upon  him,  saith  the  Lord !"  Now,  to 
promote  this  disposition,  let  the  following  things  be 
considered. 

The  patience  w^e  recommend,  arises  from 

1.  The  belief  of  a  divine  providence  ; 

2.  Sincere  humiliation  for  sin  ;  and 

3.  Hope  in  the  mercy  of  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ. 

1.  A  firm  belief  of  the  providence  of  God  is  ne- 
cessary to  patience.  The  great  God  who  made  the 
world,  rules  and  governs  it.  He  preserves  and 
governs  all  his  creatures  ;  nothing  is  left  to  chance  : 
indeed  there  is  no  such  thing  as  chance ;  chance  and 
fortune  are  heathenish  terms,  not  fit  for  the  lips  of 
Christians.  Nothing  can  take  place  without  the  notice 
and  permission  of  God.  He  condescends  to  regard 
all  the  concerns  of  men,  even  those  which  seem  to 
be  little  and  trifling.  Jesus  Christ,  when  he  exhorted 
his  disciples  not  to  fear  the  wrath  of  man,  said  to 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [16 

them,  "  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthing  ? 
and  one  of  them  shall  not  fall  on  the  ground  without 
your  Father.  But  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all 
numbered."  This  is  to  teach  us  that  the  providence 
of  God  extends  to  every  thing,  however  little  and 
trifling  it  may  seem  to  be.  But  what  is  little  ?  That 
which  seems  to  be  so,  may  be  an  important  hnk  in 
the  great  chain  of  events.  Joseph's  dreams  might 
seem  trifles :  his  telling  them  to  his  brethren ;  the 
merchants  passing  by  just  when  they  had  put  him 
in  the  pit ;  their  buying  him,  and  taking  him  into 
Egypt — all  these  things  might  seem  trifles,  but  they 
tended  to  great  events — even  to  the  advancement  of 
Joseph,  the  preservation  of  Jacob's  whole  family,  the 
oppression  of  their  posterity,  their  miraculous  deli- 
verance, and  their  final  settlement  in  the  promised 
land,  and  thus,  to  the  fulfilment  of  God's  designs  and 
predictions.  Had  the  merchants  passed  by  the  pit  an 
hour  sooner  or  an  hour  later,  the  chain  would  have 
been  broken.  And  it  often  happens  that  the  greatest 
events  of  our  lives  turn  upon  a  point  that  seems,  at 
the  moment,  of  no  importance. 

Nothing  appears  to  be  more  casual  than  casting  a 
lot ;  but  this  is  not  unnoticed.  Solomon  says,  "  The 
lot  is  cast  into  the  lap,  but  the  whole  disposing  thereof 
is  of  the  Lord."  Prov.  16 :  33.  When  Ahab,  king 
of  Israel,  ventured,  notwithstanding  he  was  warned 
against  it  by  the  prophet,  to  go  to  battle  against  the 
Syrians  ;  and  although  he  disguised  himself  that  he 
might  not  be  known,'  yet  he  was  slain,  and  that  by  a 
man  who   "  drew  a  bow  at  a  venture :"  but   the 


17]  CHRISTIAN    PATIENCE.  5 

providence  of  God  directed  the  arrow,  and  it  entered 
his  body,  "  through  the  joints  of  his  armour,"  in 
which,  perhaps,  he  trusted;  and  he  died  according 
to  the  word  of  God.     1  Kings,  22. 

God  is  the  author  of  our  hves,  and  "  in  him  we 
live,  and  move,  and  have  our  being."  He  deter- 
mined the  time  of  our  birth ;  the  country  in  which 
we  should  be  born;  the  parents  from  whom  we 
should  descend:  and  all  the  circumstances  of  our 
education,  connections,  and  employments  in  life.  It 
is  he  who  gives  us  "our  daily  bread,"  preserves  us 
from  sickness,  or  restores  us  to  health.  All  our 
troubles  and  afflictions  are  under  his  control;  and, 
if  we  are  his  children,  he  will  be  our  guide  unto 
death,  our  support  when  dying,  and  our  everlasting 
portion  beyond  the  grave. 

All  this  is  a  foundation  for  patience  :  and  thus  we 
find  that  holy  men  of  old  reasoned,  when  heavy 
troubles  befell  them.  When  Job,  so  celebrated  for 
his  patience,  lost  all  his  great  property,  and  all  his 
ten  children  in  one  day,  he  refers  all  to  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  saying,  *'  The  Lord  gave,  and  the 
Lord  hath  taken  away ;  blessed  be  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  He  might  have  referred  to  the  three  parties 
of  the  Chaldeans  who  murdered  his  servants  and 
stole  his  cattle ;  but  he  resolves  it  all  into  the  holy 
and  sovereign  will  of  God.  He  who  gave  him  these 
great  possessions,  had  taken  them  away:  but  his 
loss  was  far  from  making  him  impatient ;  he  blesses 
the  name  of  the  Lord.  Many  an  aged  person  may 
number,  among  his  afflictions,  the  loss  of  that  pro- 


6  SERMONS    TO    THE  AGED.  [18 

perty  which  he  once  possessed,  and  which  he  hoped 
would  have  been  the  support  of  his  age ;  but  it  is 
lost  and  gone,  and  painful  poverty  has  succeeded: 
cr  he  may  mourn  the  loss  of  a  beloved  wife,  or  affec- 
tionate children;  but  let  him  imitate  Job,  calmly 
submit  to  the  holy  will  of  God,  and  bless  Him  who 
takes  away,  as  well  as  Him  who  gave. 

When  Nadab  and  Abihu,  the  sons  of  Aaron,  the 
high-priest,  were  suddenly  destroyed,  for  their  pre- 
sumption, by  fire  from  the  Lord,  the  bereaved  father, 
though  doubtless  deeply  affected  by  the  awful  event, 
dared  not  murmur,  but  submitted  silently  to  the 
awful  stroke — "  Aaron  held  his  peace." 

When  David,  king  of  Israel,  w^as  driven  from 
Jerusalem  by  the  rebellion  of  his  son  Absalom,  and 
was  in  danger  of  losing  his  life  as  well  as  his  crown, 
this  was  the  expression  of  his  patience:  "  If  I  shall 
find  favour  in  the  eyes  of  the  Lord,  he  will  bring  me 
again,  and  show  me  both  it  and  his  habitation ;  but 
if  he  thus  say,  I  have  no  delight  in  thee ;  behold, 
here  am  I,  let  him  do  to  me  as  seemeth  good  unto 
him."  Thus  it  becomes  us  to  bow  to  the  Sovereign 
Disposer  of  all  things  ;  the  Judge  of  all  the  earth 
cannot  but  do  right.  "  God  is  righteous  in  all  his 
w^ays,  and  holy  in  all  his  works."  "  Just  and  true 
are  all  thy  ways,  O  King  of  saints."  Who  art  thou 
then,  worm  of  the  earth,  "  that  repliest  against 
God  ?  Shall  the  thing  formed,  say  to  him  that 
formed  it.  Why  hast  thou  made  me  thus  ?  Hath  not 
the  potter  power  over  the  clay,  of  the  same  lump  to 
make  one   vessel    to    honor,    and   another  to  dis- 


19]  CHRISTIAN  PATIENCE.  7 

honor?"  Hear,  then,  his  voice,  when  tempted  to 
murmur  or  complain; — "Be  still,  and  know  that 
I  am  God.'' 

2.  Sincere  humiliation  for  sin  contributes  much  to 
patience.  "  God  looketh  upon  men"  when  afflicted, 
and  observes  the  temper  of  their  minds ;  "  and  if  any 
say,  I  have  sinned,  and  perverted  that  which  is  right, 
and  it  profited  me  not,  he  will  deliver  his  soul  from 
going  down  into  the  pit,  and  his  life  shall  see  the 
light."  Job,  33  :  27,  28.  Yes,  "  Surely  it  is  meet 
to  be  said  unto  God,  I  have  borne  chastisement, 
I  will  not  offend  any  more."  Job,  34 :  31.  A  true 
and  deep  conviction  of  our  sin,  the  sinfulness  of  our 
nature,  and  the  transgressions  of  our  lives,  will 
reconcile  us  to  the  cross.  We  shall  not  think  that 
God  treats  us  with  severity,  but  sincerely  say,  "He 
hath  not  dealt  with  us  after  our  sins,  nor  rewarded 
us  according  to  our  iniquities."  No,  far  from  it : 
"  He  hath  punished  us  less  than  our  iniquities  have 
deserved."  An  aged  sinner  may  justly  say.  How 
many  are  in  hell,  who  never  sinned  so  much,  nor  so 
long  as  I  have  done ;  they  are  taken,  but  I  am  left ; 
God  has  given  me  time  and  space  for  repentance, 
ahd  this  affliction  loudly  calls  me  to  it.  O  that  I 
may  "hear  tjie  rod,  and  him  who  hath  appoint- 
ed it." 

Consider  that  question  proposed  by  the  prophet 
Jeremiah,  (Lam.  3:  39)  "  Wherefore  doth  a  Hving 
man  complain — a  man  for  the  punishment  of  his 
sins?"  Sinners  must  repent,  not  repine.  We  are 
yet  lm7ig  men;  and  while  there  is   life,  there   is 


8  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [20 

hope.  "  In  the  day  of  adversity,  consider  ;"  and 
instead  of  complaining,  "  Let  us  search  and  try  our 
ways,  and  turn  again  to  the  Lord." 

If  sin  has  become  bitter  to  us,  if  we  abhor  our- 
selves on  account  of  it,  we  shall  welcome  the  cross 
which  is  intended  to  "  destroy  the  body  of  sin," 
"  to  crucify  the  old  man,  with  his  affections  and 
lusts,"  and  to  make  us  "  partakers  of  God's  holy 
nature."  "  Well,  then,  may  the  aged  and  afflicted 
penitent  say,  *'  I  will  bear  the  indignation  of  the 
Lord,  because  I  have  sinned  against  him." 

3.  Hope  in  the  mercy  of  God,  through  Jesus 
Christ,  will  greatly  promote  the  exercise  of  patience. 

The  penitent  sinner  who,  under  a  sense  of  his 
guilt,  and  exposure  to  the  wrath  of  a  holy  and  just 
God,  has  "  fled  for  refuge  to  lay  hold  upon  the  hope 
set  before  him"  in  the  Gospel;  who  has  by  faith 
*'  received  the  atonement,"  and  is  thus  reconciled  to 
God  through  the  blood  of  Christ,  may  indulge  a 
good  hope  of  salvation ;  for  the  gracious  Redeemer, 
on  whose  faithful  word  we  may  safely  rely,  hath 
said,  *'Him  that  cometh  untp  me  I  will  in  nowise 
cast  out."  If,  then,  we  are  the  children  of  God, 
through  faith  in  Jesus,  God  ''dealeth  with  us  as  his 
children"  when  he  afflicts  us.  The  rod  is  no  proof 
of  his  anger,  but  of  his  love ;  for  '*  whom  the  Lord 
loveth  he  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom 
he  receiveth."  Most  children  need  correction:  all 
God's  children  do;  therefore  he  will  not  withhold 
the  rod.  "  If  ye  be  without  chastisement,  whereof 
all  are  partakers,  then  are  ye  bastards,   and  not 


21]  CHRISTIAN     PATIENCE.  9 

sonsi"  So  St.  Paul,  writing  to  the  afflicted  and 
persecuted  Hebrews  who  believed  in  Jesus  Christ, 
makes  use  of  the  following  argument:  "We  have 
had  fathers  of  our  jiesli  who  corrected  us,  and  we 
gave  them  reverence ;  shall  we  not  much  rather  be 
in  subjection  to  the  Father  of  Spirits,  and  live?  for 
they  verily  chastened  us  after  their  own  pleasure, 
but  he  for  our  profit" — and  oh  how  great  the 
profit!  let  it  be  duly  prized,  "that  we  might  be 
partakers  of  his  holiness" — that  we  might  be  more 
and  more  conformed  to  his  own  holy  image  and  will 
in  the  present  world,  and  hereafter  attain  a  sinless 
perfection  in  the  world  to  come.  See  the  12th 
chapter  of  the  epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  verse  5th  to 
t^e  12th. 

Afflictions  are  not,  "/(tt  the  present,  joyous,  but 
grievous;" — they  may  be  hard  to  bear;  but  we 
must  look  forward:  "Afterward  they  yield  the 
peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness."  For  this  we  must 
pray  and  wait.  Look  at  the  farmer,  and  imitate  his 
example:  so  St.  James  directs:  "Behold,  the  hus- 
bandman waiteth  for  the  precious  fruit  of  the  earth, 
and  hath  long  patience  for  it,  until  he  receive  the 
early  and  latter  rain.  Be  ye  also  patient ;  stablish 
your  hearts,  for  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draweth 
nigh."  When  the  farmer  has  sown  his  wheat  he 
does  not  expect  an  immediate  harvest.  He  has  long 
patience,  he  waits  many  months;  and  when  the 
appointed  weeks  of  harvest  arrive,  he  reaps  the 
crop  with  joy,  and  feels  that  all  his  toil,  and  all  his 
expense,  and  all  his  patience,  are  well  repaid.  And 
thus  shall  it  be  with  the  afflicted  Christian.     "  He 


10  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [22 

went  forth  weeping,  bearing  precious  seed,  and  he 
shall,  doubtless,  come  again  with  joy,  bringing  his 
sheaves  with  him,"  He  shall  reap  "the  peaceable 
fruits  of  righteousness,"  which  are  by  Jesus  Christ 
to  the  glory  of  God,  and  his  own  spiritual  and  eternal 
advantage. 

To  conclude :  "  Let  patience  have  its  perfect 
work" — let  it  take  its  own  proper  course  without 
interruption;  and  if  the  affliction  that  calls  for  it 
continue  long,  let  patience  also  be  continued ;  "that 
ye  may  be  perfect  and  entire,  lacking  nothing  ;"  for 
patience  is  necessary  to  complete  the  Christian 
character ;  and  he  is  the  most  eminent  Christian  who 
is  the  most  patient.  "Take,  my  brethren,  the  pro- 
phets, for  an  example  of  suffering  affliction  and 
patience.  Behold,  we  count  them  happy  which 
endure,''''  that  is,  who  bear  their  trials  with  resigna- 
tion, faith,  and  patience.  "  Ye  have  heard  of  the 
patience  of  Job,  and  have  seen  the  end  of  the 
Lord — that  the  Lord  is  very  pitiful  and  of  tender 
mercy."  God  supported  him  in  his  heavy  trials, 
and  at  length  gave  him  a  happy  issue  out  of  all  his 
afflictions.  He  doubled  his  former  enjoyments,  and 
gave  a  glorious  testimony  to  his  piety.  The  same 
Lord  is  still  equally  pitiful  to  all  his  children ;  and  if 
he  do  not  crown  every  believer's  patience  with  out- 
ward prosperity,  like  Job's,  he  will  do  far  more  and 
better,  he  will  give  each  of  them  "  a  crown  of  righte- 
ousness which  shall  not  fade  away." 

St.  Paul  was  a  great  and  patient  sufferer;  and 
thus  we  find  him  reasoning:  "I  reckon  that  the 
sufferings  of  the  present  time  are  not  worthy  to  be 


23]  CHRISTIAN  PATIENCE.  11 

compared  with  the  glory  which  shall  be  revealed  in 
us."  And  in  another  place  he  goes  still  further, 
and  says,  *'  Our  light  affliction,  (so  he  calls  his  heavy 
trials,)  which  is  but  for  a  moment,  (so  he  speaks  of 
his  long-continued  persecutions,)  worketh  for  us  a  far 
more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  The 
heaviest  trial  was  light,  and  the  longest  trial  was 
short ;  not  in  itself,  but  when  compared  with  the 
eternal  glories  of  the  heavenly  world.  Then  shall 
it  be  said  of  those  patient  sufferers,  "  These  are 
they  who  have  come  out  of  great  tribulation,  and 
have  washed  their  robes  and  made  them  white  in 
the  blood  of  the  Lamb ;  therefore  are  they  before 
the  throne:  they  shall  hunger  no  more,  neither 
thirst  any  more,  and  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears 
from  their  eyes." 


PRAYER. 

Holy  Father,  thou  art  the  God  of  the  spirits  of 
all  flesh,  and  hatest  nothing  that  thou  hast  made ; 
yet  thou  art  pleased  to  permit  great  and  sore  troubles 
to  befall  thy  children.  But  thou  art  righteous  in 
all  thy  ways,  and  holy  in  all  thy  works.  O  suffer 
me  not  to  murmur  or  complain,  for  I  am  conscious 
that  my  sins  deserve  far  severer  treatment.  May 
I  find  that  it  is  good,  though  it  be  not  pleasant,  to  be 
afflicted.  May  tribulation  work  patience  and  ex- 
perience and  hope ;  yea,  all  the  peaceable  fruits 
of  righteousness,  that  I  may  be  more  fully  a  partaker 
of  thy  holiness.     If  aflliction  abound,  let  thy  conso- 


12  SERMONS    TO    THE  AGED.  [24 

lations  much  more  abound.  Cheer  my  heart  with 
the  hope  of  pardon  and  acceptance  through  Jesus 
Christ.  May  thy  Holy  Spirit  bear  witness  with  my 
spirit  that  I  am  a  child  of  God  and  an  heir  of  glory. 
Let  the  present  distress  be  moderated,  and,  if  it 
please  thee,  removed ;  that  health  of  body  and 
peace  of  mind  may  again  be  enjoyed.  Yet,  O  Lord, 
I  desire  to  say,  not  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done.  May 
patience  have  its  perfect  work,  and  when  the  days  of 
my  affliction  are  concluded,  admit  me  to  that  happy 
and  holy  world,  in  which  the  inhabitants  shall  not 
say,  I  am  sick ;  where  God  shall  wipe  away  all  tears 
from  the  eyes  of  his  people,  and  the  days  of  their 
mourning  shall  be  ended. 


PUBLISHED  BY  THE   AMERICAN  TRACT  SOClEjy. 


SZSB.]M[OZirS   TO   37H23   Aa£32>,..l^O.  3. 


PENITENT    REFLECTIONS. 


I  do  rememher  my  faults  this  day, — Genesis,  41 : 9. 

Memory  is  a  most  valuable  faculty  of  the  human 
mind,  and  of  the  most  important  use  in  all  the  con- 
cerns of  life.  It  is  the  storehouse  of  our  knowledge, 
without  which  all  our  acquirements  would  be  lost. 
It  supplies  materials  to  direct  our  judgment  in  the 
management  of  all  our  affairs,  and  teaches  us  to 
avoid  many  threatening  dangers ;  it  is  also  a  source 
of  great  delight,  enabling  us  to  enjoy  anew  the  plea- 
sures of  former  years :  but  it  is  also  the  frequent 
source  of  painful  feelings,  by  renewing  the  sorrows 
of  our  past  days.  Memory,  however,  is  the  greatest 
benefit  when  employed  in  the  service  of  religion, 
when  we  "  remember  our  Creator,"  his  holy  will, 
and  his  righteous  law^,  and  are  thereby  led  to  review 
our  sins  with  that  godly  sorrow  which  worketh  re- 
pentance unto  life. 

Of  this  kind  was  that  act  of  memory  which  is 
mentioned  in  our  text.  The  person  who  here  says, 
**  I  remember  my  faults  this  day,"  was  the  chief 
butler  in  the  household  of  Pharaoh,  king  of  Egypt. 
He,  and  another  officer  of  the  household,  the  chief 
baker,  were  put  into  prison  at  the  same  time ;  and 


2  SERMONS    TO    THE  AGED.  [26 

they  both  dreamed  on  the  same  night,  but  were  not 
able  to  interpret  their  dreams.  Joseph,  a  son  of 
Jacob,  was  a  prisoner  in  the  same  jail,  under  the 
false  charge  of  a  wicked  woman.  He  was  understood 
to  be  an  interpreter  of  dreams,  and  to  him  both  the 
butler  and  the  baker  referred,  wishing  to  know  the 
meaning  of  their  respective  dreams.  Joseph  gave 
this  solution — that  the  butler  should  be  restored  to 
his  post,  but  that  the  baker  should  be  executed  as 
a  criminal.  Both  these  events  came  to  pass.  Now 
Joseph,  when  he  foretold  the  restoration  of  the 
butler,  made  this  reasonable  request.  *'  Think  on 
me  when  it  shall  be  well  with  thee  ;  and  show  kind- 
ness, I  pray  thee,  unto  me ;  and  make  mention  of 
my  name  unto  Pharaoh,  and  bring  me  out  of  this 
house." 

Did  the  butler  regard  his  request  ?  Did  he  remem- 
ber Joseph?  No,  "he  forgot  Joseph."  Two  full  years 
passed  over  before  he  recollected  his  promise  to 
him.  It  was  not  until  king  Pharaoh  himself  had  a 
dream,  which  none  of  his  wise  men  were  able  to  in- 
terpret, that  Joseph  came  into  the  ungrateful  butler's 
mind ;  and  he  said,  "  I  do  remember  my  fault  this 
day."  It  was  the  fault  of  ingratitude,  and  a  breach 
of  promise :  and  ingratitude  is  a  great  sin.  Alas ! 
how  common  is  it,  and  how  often  do  those  who  rise 
in  the  world  forget  their  poor  neighbors,  perhaps 
their  poor  relations !  Themselves  at  ease,  they  forget 
those  who  are  in  trouble — ^themselves  in  prosperity, 
they  forget  those  in  adversity. 

The  butler  owns  that  it  was  a  fault;  and  if  ingra- 


^1  PENITENT    REFLECTIONS.  3 

titude  to  nien  be  a  fault,  how  much  greater  a  fault  is 
ingratitude  to  God,  when  we  "  forget  all  his  bene- 
fits," all  that  goodness  which  ought  to  lead  us  to 
repentance ! 

We  may  take  occasion,  from  these  words,  to  ob- 
serve : 

1.  That  we  are  all  chargeable  with  many  faults. 

2.  That  we  are  too  apt  to  forget  them. 

3.  That  there  are  various  times  and  occasions 
which  ought  to  bring  them  to  mind,  and  that  this  is 
especially  necessary  for  aged  persons. 

1.  It  is  a  certain  truth  that  we  are  justly  chargea- 
ble with  many  faults.  Few  will  deny  that  they 
have  committed  faults  against  their  fellow-creatures, 
against  parents,  masters,  husbands,  wives,  children, 
or  neighbors ;  and  those  ought  to  occasion  heartfelt 
sorrow.  But  our  worst  faults  are  our  sins  against 
God.  These  should  affect  our  minds  still  more 
deeply,  and  fill  us  with  godly  sorrow,  as  they  did  the 
royal  penitent.  Psalm  51.  "  Against  thee,  thee  only, 
have  I  sinned,  and  done  this  evil  in  thy  sight."  So 
the  penitent  Prodigal,  who  had  been  an  undutiful 
son,  says,  "  I  have  sinned  against  Heaven,  and  be- 
fore thee."  He  acknowledges  his  sin  against  God 
first,  as  the  greatest  evil  of  the  two. 

If  we  would  rightly  judge  of  our  sins,  we  must 
not  compare  ourselves  with  other  sinners,  but  with 
the  divine  standard — the  holy  law  of  God,  "  for  by 
the  law  is  the  knowledge  of  sin."  That  law  extends 
to  the  heart,  and  condemns  every  evil  thought,  as  our 
Savior  largely  shows  in  his  sermon  on  the  mount. 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [28 

where  heart-murder  and  heart-adultery  are  con- 
demned. And  it  was  in  this  way  that  Paul,  once  a 
proud  pharisee,  who  thought  himself  righteous,  was 
convinced  of  his  sin,  and  humbled  for  it ;  for  he  says, 
"  I  had  not  known  sin  unless  the  law  had  said.  Thou 
shalt  not  covet."  Why  did  this  commandment  con- 
vince and  condemn  him  more  than  the  other  nine  ? 
It  was  because  it  reached  the  heart ;  because  it  con- 
demned an  unholy  thought — a  sinful  desire.  This 
opened  his  eyes ;  "  the  commandment  came"  with 
power  to  his  conscience ;  "  sin  revived,"  and  he  adds, 
"  I  died."  The  law  did  its  office  ;  it  "slew  him  ;"  he 
saw  that  he  was  a  dead  man,  according  to  that  law 
in  which  he  had  before  trusted  and  boasted;  and 
then  he  was  glad  to  be  saved  by  grace — to  owe  his 
salvation  entirely  to  the  free  mercy  of  God,  through 
the  death  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Take  a  view  of  the  holy  law,  as  contained  in  the 
ten  commandments,  and  examine  yourself  by  each 
of  them.    Ask  yourself  these  questions  : 

Have  I  studied  to  know  God,  as  the  only  true  God, 
and  my  God?  Have  I  endeavored  to  worship  and 
glorify  him,  to  pray  to  him,  to  praise  him,  to  please 
him,  and  to  trust  in  him  ? 

Have  I  attended  to  his  worship,  and  the  ordi- 
nances appointed  in  his  word;  to  secret  prayer, 
family  prayer,  public  prayer,  and  hearing  his  Gospel? 

Have  I  always  reverenced  the  name  of  God,  not 
using  it  profanely  or  lightly  in  common  conversation, 
mindful  of  those  awful  words,  "  The  Lord  will  not 
hold  him  guiltless  who  taketh  his  name  in  vain .?" 


39]  PENITENT    REFLECTIONS.  $ 

Have  I  remembered  the  Sabbath-day,  to  keep  it 
holy,  abstaining,  all  that  day,  from  all  works  except 
those  of  necessity  and  mercy;  and  spending  the 
whole  time  in  public  or  private  exercises  of  divine 
worship  f  or  have  I  sinfully  and  foolishly  spent  my 
Sabbaths  in  idleness,  and  worldly  amusements,  or 
intemperance  ? 

Did  I  honor  my  father  and  mother  as  I  ought ; 
obeying  their  commands,  observing  their  advice, 
and  paying  due  respect  to  all  my  superiors  and  infe- 
riors, or  my  equals  ? 

Have  I  used  all  lawful  means  to  preserve  my  own 
life  and  health,  and  that  of  others ;  and  to  abstain 
from  violent  anger,  which  might  be  even  dangerous 
to  the  life  or  welfare  of  my  neighbors  f 

Have  I  been  chaste,  avoiding  youthful  and  fleshly 
lusts  and  practices,  which  "  war  against  the  soul," 
knowing  that  fornicators  and  adulterers  God  will 
judge?  or,  am  I  chargeable  with  abominable  actions 
which  defile  the  soul  and  provoke  a  holy  God  to 
anger  ?  Have  I  been  the  unhappy  instrument  of  in- 
volving others  in  the  same  guilt — others  who  are 
now,  perhaps,  dead,  and  whose  state  is  fixed  for  ever 
in  the  eternal  world  ?  And  if  I  have  been  kept  from 
the  grosser  acts  of  evil,  have  I  not  indulged  iniquity 
in  my  heart,  and  been  guilty  of  ten  thousand  secret 
and  speculative  sins  ? 

Have  I  been  uniformly  and  universally  honest  as 
a  tradesman,  as  a  master,  or  as  a  servant  ?  Do  I 
abhor  every  species  and  degree  of  dishonesty,  of 
over-reaching  or  defrauding  any  person  in  any  of  my 
dealings  ? 


6  SER3IONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [30 

Have  I  constantly  maintained  truth,  not  only  when 
I  may  have  taken  an  oath,  but  in  common  conversa- 
tion, 4n  relating  facts,  and  in  speaking  of  characters  ? 
Have  I  always  been  cautious  in  making  promises, 
and  very  careful  in  keeping  them  ? 

Have  I  been  contented  with  the  condition  which 
God  has  been  pleased  to  allot  me,  however  poor  or 
distressing,  believing  that  he  orders  all  things  for  the 
biest  ?  And  do  I  avoid,  as  much  as  possible,  envying 
the  happiness  of  my  neighbor,  or  inordinately  de- 
siring any  thing  that  is  his  f 

Let  the  reader  make  a  pause,  and  try  himself  by 
each  of  these  ten  commandments,  and  he  will  find 
abundant  cause  to  say,  "  Lord,  have  mercy  upon  me, 
and  incline  my  heart  to  keep  this  law;"  "  Lord,  have 
mercy  upon  me,  and  write  all  these  thy  laws  in  my 
heart,  I  beseech  thee."  "  I  do  remember  my  faults 
this  day." 

But  it  is  not  only  the  recital  of  the  holy  law  which 
should  excite  contrition  ;  God  has  been  pleased  also 
to  give  us  his  holy  Gospel,  which  is  called  "  the  law 
of  faith'''' — the  divinely-appointed  and  only  method 
of  salvation,  which  requires  our  obedience  as  much 
as  the  law,  and  the  rejection  of  which  is  of  all  sins 
the  most  heinous  and  destructive ;  even  as  our  Savior 
himself  speaks,  (John,  3  :  18,)  "  He  that  believeth  on 
him  is  not  condemned ;  but  he  that  believeth  not  is 
condemned  already,  because  he  hath  not  believed  in 
the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son  of  God." 

Let  the  reader  then  ask  himself,  "  Do  I  believe  on 
the  Son  of  God  ?  Do  I,  believing  that  I  am  a  fallen, 


31]  PENITENT   RfePLECTIONS.  7 

guilty,  helpless  sinner,  believe  the  testimony  of  God 
in  his  Gospel,  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only,  the  all-- 
sufficient  Savior — that  he  came  into  the  world  to 
save  sinners — ^that  he  suffered  and  died,  the  just 
for  the  unjust ;  that  God  is  reconciled  to  the  vrorld 
through  him — that  through  him  whosoever  believes 
shall  be  pardoned  and  justified,  however  many  and 
great  his  sins  have  been — and  that  none  who  come 
to  God  by  him  shall  be  rejected  ?  Do  I  then  believe 
the  general  promises  in  my  own  particular  case,  and 
look  to  Christ  as  my  Savior,  committing  my  precious 
soul  to  his  care,  trusting  in  him  alone,  and  endeavor- 
ing to  rely  upon  him  confidently  for  eternal  salva- 
tion V  If  I  can  do  this,  I  may  remember  my  faults 
with  godly  sorrow,  but  not  with  despair,  "  looking 
for  the  mercy  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  unto  eter- 
nal life." 

2.  We  observed,  at  the  beginning  of  this  dis- 
course, that  we  are  too  apt  to  forget  our  faults. 

An  honest  man  will  not  forget  the  debts  he  owes 
to  his  neighbor ;  but,  oh,  how  few  remember  what 
debtors  they  are  to  God !  And  this  is  no  wonder,  if 
we  consider  the  careless  and  ungodly  lives  of  sinners. 
If  they  kept  the  Sabbath,  attended  on  the  public 
worship  of  God,  and  read  the  Scriptures  at  home, 
they  would  be  reminded  of  their  sins.  If  they  prayed 
in  private,  as  all  Christians  do,  they  could  not  ferget 
their  iniquities.  But  if  worldly  business  employs  most 
of  their  time,  and  the  rest  is  spent  at  the  ale-house 
or  the  theatre,  or  in  the  company  of  the  wicked,  who 


S  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [33 

glory  in  their  shame,  we  cannot  wonder  that  thus 
forgetting  God,  they  forget  both  their  duty  to  him  and 
their  offences  against  him.  But  that  this  may  not 
continue  to  be  the  case,  let  us  proceed  to  observe : — 

3.  There  are  times  and  occasions  which  ought  to 
bring  sins  to  remembrance,  and  especially  the  time 
of  old  age. 

The  means  of  grace,  as  we  have  already  noticed, 
should  certainly  have  this  effect :  prayer  includes  the 
confession  of  sin ;  and  a  serious  perusal  of  the  Bible, 
and  the  faithful  ministry  of  the  word,  cannot  fail  to 
remind  us  of  our  faults. 

The  observation  of  the  sins  of  others  all  around 
us  will  forcibly  remind  us  of  our  own  transgressions ; 
and  the  aged  person  will  see,  with  heartfelt  grief,  the 
sins  of  his  youth  acted  over  again  by  the  rising  gene- 
ration. It  is  recorded  of  a  holy  martyr,,  that  when 
he  saw  a  criminal  led  to  execution,  he  would  say, 
*'  There  goes  John  Bradford,  had  it  not  been  for  the 
grace  of  God."  *'  Who  maketh  thee  to  differ  ?"  "  By 
the  grace  of  God,"  said  St.  Paul,  "I  am- what  I  am." 

Afflictions  are  often  the  means  of  humbling  the 
soul  for  sin.  When  God  sends  some  sharp  affliction 
to  try  us,  we  may  say  to  it,  as  the  woman  of  old  did 
to  the  prophet,  "  Art  thou  come  to  call  my  sins  to 
remembrance?"  Or,  ab*  another  penitent  speaks, 
"Thou  writest  bitter  things  against  me,  and  makest 
me  to  possess  the  sins  of  my  youth."  And  happy  is 
that  affliction  which  thus  humbles  the  soul. 


33] 


PENITENT    REFLECTIONS. 


"  Then  shall  I  sing,  O  happy  rod, 
"That  brought  me  nearer  to  my  God." 


The  apprehension  of  the  approach  of  death  will, 
above  all  other  occasions,  tend  to  bring  sin  to  re- 
membrance. It  is  generally,  though  not  constantly 
found,  that 
"  Men  may  live  fools,  but  fools  they  cannot  die^ 
The  conscience,  however  dormant  before,  now 
awakes,  and  the  most  ungodly  will  then  resort  to 
religion,  or  at  least  to  the  forms  of  it,  however  ne- 
glected and  despised  before,  as  their  last  refuge. 
Solemn  and  awful,  beyond  expression,  is  the  thought 
of  appearing  before  a  holy  and  justly  offended  God, 
and  entering  into  the  unknown  and  eternal  state,  to 
receive  according  to  what  we  have  done  in  the  body. 
Even  the  heathen  sailors  in  the  ship  with  Jonah, 
when  they  dreaded  shipwreck  and  death,  "cried 
every  man  to  his  god." 

But  let  not  the  great  concern  be  put  off  tp  that 
awful  period.  Dying  persons  have  often  expressed 
their  total  inability  rightly  to  consider  their  state  be- 
fore God,  or  to  prepare  for  the  approaching  change. 
Let  every  reader,  then,  now  call  his  sins  to  remem- 
brance, and  humble  himself,  as  in  dust  and  ashes, 
before  God.  "  Let  the  wicked  forsake,"  as  well  as 
remember,  "  his  way;  and  let  him  turn  to  the  Lord, 
and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him,  and  to  our  God, 
for  he  will  abundantly  pardon." 

"  If  we  confess  our  sins  with  a  humble,  lowly,  peni- 
tent, and  obedient  heart,  we  shall  obtain  forgiveness 


10  SERMONS   TO    THE   AGED.  [34 

of  the  same,  by  his  infinite  goodness  and  mercy." 
*'  If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful  and  just  to 
forgive  us  our  sins,  and  to  cleanse  us  from  all  un- 
righteousness." Let  the  penitent  sinner  lift  up  his 
weeping  eyes  to  the  cross  of  Jesus :  let  him,  as  di- 
rected by  the  Gospel,  "  behold  the  Lamb  of  God, 
who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world ;  who  died,  the 
just  for  the  unjust,  to  bring  us  to  God ;"  and  if  we 
thus  come  to  him,  and  believe  on  him,  his  precious 
blood  will  cleanse  us  from  all  our  sins :  we  "  shall 
not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 
^  Thrice  happy  is  the  aged  penitent  who  has  thus 
remembered  his  sins,  and  obtained  the  pardon  of 
them  through  the  free  grace  of  God.  The  penitent 
will  still  "remember  them  and  be  ashamed,  although 
God  be  pacified  toward  him  for  all  that  he  hath 
done ;"  but  he  is  interested  in  that  new  covenant  of 
grace  in  which  the  Lord  saith,  "  I  will  be  merciful 
to  their  unrighteousness ;  their  sins  and  their  iniqui- 
ties will  I  remember  no  more." 


PRAYER. 

O  holy  and  gracious  God,  I  acknowledge  my  trans- 
gression, and  my  sin  is  ever  before  me.  When  I  re- 
flect on  the  years  that  are  past,  I  blush  and  am 
ashamed  to  lift  up  my  face;  and  if  thou.  Lord, 
shouldest  mark  my  iniquities,  I  can  never  stand.  In- 
numerable evils  have  compassed  me  about ;  they  are 
more  than  the  hairs  of  my  head,  therefore  my  heart 


35]  PENITENT   REFLECTIONS.  II 

faileth  me.  I  have  sinned  in  every  stage  of  life,  from 
my  youth  up ;  I  have  sinned  in  every  station  and  re- 
lation of  life.  I  have  sinned  against  light  and  love, 
against  calls  and  warnings,  against  convictions  and 
resolutions.  The  remembrance  of  my  sins  is  grievous, 
the  burden  of  them  is  intolerable.  God  be  merciful 
to  me  a  sinner ;  according  to  the  multitude  of  thy 
tender  mercies  blot  out  the  multitude  of  my  sins.  Is 
there  not  forgiveness  with  thee,  O  God,  that  thou 
mayest  be  feared  ?  Is  not  the  blood  of  thy  dear  Son 
sufficient  to  wash  me  from  all  my  guilt  ?  For  his  sake, 
O  God,  wash  me  thoroughly  from  my  iniquity,  and 
cleanse  me  from  my  sin.  And  O  give  me  thy  Holy 
Spirit  to  purify  my  heart  and  renew  my  spirit,  that 
hereafter  I  may  hate  every  false  way,  and  serve  thee 
with  body,  soul,  and  spirit,  all  the  rest  of  my  days. 
And  this  I  ask  in  the  name  and  for  the  sake  of  Jesus 
Christ,  to  whom  be  the  glory,  now  and  for  evermore. 
Amen. 

Show  pity.  Lord  !  O  Lord,  forgive ! 
Let  a  repenting  rebel  live ; 
Are  not  thy  mercies  large  and  free  .'* 
May  not  a  sinner  trust  in  thee  ? 

My  crimes  are  great,  but  don't  surpass 
The  power  and  glory  of  thy  grace ; 
Great  God !  thy  nature  hath  no  bound, 
So  let  thy  pardoning  love  be  found. 

O  wash  my  soul  from  every  sin, 

And  make  my  guilty  conscience  clean ; 


12 


■SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED. 


[36 


Here  on  my  heart  the  burden  Ues, 
And  past  offences  pain  my  eyes. 

My  lips,  with  shame,  my  sins  confess 
Against  thy  law,  against  thy  grace  : 
Lord,  should  thy  judgments  grow  severe, 
I  am  condemned,  but  thou  art  clear. 

Should  sudden  vengeance  seize  my  breath, 
I  must  pronounce  thee  just  in  death ; 
And  if  my  soul  were  sent  to  hell. 
Thy  righteous  law  approves  it  well. 

Yet  save  a  trembling  sinner,  Lord, 
Whose  hope,  still  hovering  round  thy  word, 
Would  light  on  some  sweet  promise  there. 
Some  sure  support  against  despair. 


PUBLISHED   BY   THE   AMERICAN   TRACT   SOCIETY. 


SER1MC0Z7S  TO   THE  AaBB...S70.  4. 


GRATEFUL   RECOLLECIIONS, 


JBkss  the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  fcyrget  not  all  his 
benefits,-^FsQ\m  103 : 2. 

Aged  persons  generally  complain  of  the  failure 
of  their  memory ;  it  is  one  of  the  most  usual  infirmi- 
ties of  advanced  life.  The  names  of  persons  and 
places  are  often  forgotten ;  and  although  the  events 
of  youth  are  distinctly  recollected,  the  transactions 
of  the  past  day,  perhaps  of  the  last  hour,  are  lost. 
This  defect  of  memory  is  a  source  of  pain  and  in- 
convenience, and  is,  therefore,  frequently  lamented. 
But  it  is  not  only  in  the  affairs  of  time  and  sense 
that  this  failure  takes  place ;  it  becomes  a  greater 
evil  in  reference  to  our  spiritual  concerns,  and  should 
therefore  be  guarded  against,  or  repaired,  as  much 
as  possible.  In  the  affairs  of  the  world  we  often  take 
pains  to  recall  to  mind  what  we  had  forgotten,  and 
we  frequently  succeed.  Thus  let  us  act  in  regard  to 
spiritual  things ;  and  thus  our  text  informs  us  that 
the  holy  Psalmist  acted.  In  this  sacred  and  encou- 
raging Psalm,  he  awakens  and  stirs  up  his  soul  to 
the  joyful  task ;  he  calls  forth  *'  ail  that  is  within 
him" — all  his  powers  and  faculties,  to  unite  in  this 


2  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [38 

sacred  song,  (verse  1,)  and  in  the  text  he  repeats  the 
summons,  and  calls  in  memory  to  his  aid ;  he  in- 
vites the  povver  of  recollection  to  furnish  matter  for 
praise ;  for,  alas !  we  are  all  too  apt  to  forget  benefits 
received.  It  vv^as  the  complaint  of  some  persons  in 
ancient  times,  that  *.' injuries  were  written  in  marble, 
but  benefits  in  sand ;"  the  former  were  never  for- 
gotten, the  latter  seldom  remembered.  This  is  too 
often  the  case  still,  even  as  it  regards  our  fellow- 
creatures.  Ingratitude  to  man  is  no  uncommon  fault ; 
but  we  are  far  more  prone  to  forget  ^the  greater  be- 
nefits that  a  gracious  God  has  conferred  upon  us. 
We  should,  therefore,  stir  up  our  souls  to  the  duty 
of  praise ;  and  let  the  aged  man  say  thus  to  himself, 
*'  O  my  soul,  to  thy  shame  be  it  spoken,  thou  hast 
forgotten  many  of  his  benefits ;  but  surely  thou  wilt 
not  forget  them  all,  for  thou  shouldest  not  have  for- 
gotten any."  This,  then,  is  what  we  shall  urge  in 
the  present  discourse. 

Aged  people  should  review  their  past  years,  and 
recollect  with  gratitude  the  goodness  of  God  to  them. 

Look  back  to  infancy.  What  a  feeble  creature  is 
the  human  infant !  more  helpless  than  the  young  of 
any  animal.  Many  creatures  can  shift  for  themselves 
from  the  beginning  of  life,  but  little  children  are  long 
dependant  on  a  mother's  care — a  care  exercised  for 
years  before  the  date  of  their  remembrance ;  and  O 
how  much  is  due  to  a  mother  for  her  care  and  kind- 
ness, for  her  restless  nights  and  wearisome  days! 
What  anxiety  to  guard  from  danger,  to  nurse  in 


39]  GRATEFUL   RECOLLECTIONS.  O 

illness,  to  feed,  and  clothe,  and  soothe  the  darlmg 
child  !  But  all  this  we  owe  to  the  God  of  nature,  who 
implanted  this  tenderness  in  the  maternal  breast, 
and  who  gave  his  blessing  to  her  efforts  for  the  pre- 
servation of  Hfe.  Thus  the  Psalmist  ascribes  the 
support  of  his  infancy  to  divine  goodness,  (Ps.  22 : 9, 
10,)  "  Thou  art  he  who  took  me  out  of  the  womb ; 
thou  art  my  God  from  my  mother's  bowels.  I  was 
cast  upon  thee  from  the  womb ;  thou  art  my  God 
from  my  mother's  bowels." 

Forget  not  the  benefits  of  God  in  your  early 
CHILDHOOD.  More  than  half  the  children  born  into 
the  world  die  before  they  are  seven  years  of  age. 
Many  and  severe  are  the  diseases  of  childhood, 
which  few  wholly  escape,  and  which  prove  fatal  to 
a  large  proportion  of  mankind.  Children,  by  their 
lieedlessness,  often  expose  themselves  to  danger,  and 
their  very  amusements  are  so  often  destructive,  that 
we  frequently  wonder  that  so  many  live  to  years  of 
maturity.    Bless  God  that  ^au  were  spared. 

Let  us  next  refer  to  "  the  slippery  paths  of 
YOUTH,"  as  they  are  most  justly  called.  The  seeds 
of  sin  which  are  in  our  fallen  nature  now  shoot  up, 
and  quickly  produce  the  hateful  fruits  of  vice — "  the 
youthful  lusts  which  war  against  the  soul."  Violent 
are  the  propensities  of  our  sinful  nature,  which  too 
often  break  through  every  fence  of  good  education, 
conscience,  prudence,  character  and  health ;  which 
tend  to  the  ruin  both  of  body  and  soul,  and  lay  the 
foundation  for  bitter  repentance,  or  eternal  punish- 
ment.  If  the  reader  has  been,  in  any  happy  degree, 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [40 

preserved  from  these  grosser  vices,  let  him  not  forget 
the  great  benefit ;  or,  if  reclaimed  from  sinful  prac- 
tices, let  him  ascribe  it  to  the  riches  of  divine  grace, 
*'  Not  mito  me,  O  Lord,"  let  him  say,  "  but  to  thy 
name  be  all  the  glory." 

Proceed  to  review  the  years  of  middle  life. 
God's  providence  directed  thy  path  into  those  con- 
nections and  employments  from  which  thy  support 
has  been  derived.  *'  In  the  sweat  of  thy  brow,"  it 
may  be,  "thou  hast  eaten  bread;"  but  who  gave 
thee  strength  to  labor,  industry  in  thy  calling,  suc- 
cess in  thy  business  ?  And  if  He  hath  given  thee 
wealth,  taHe  care  to  ascribe  it  to  the  bounty  of  thy 
heavenly  Father,  and  *'  burn  not  incense  to  thy  own 
net,"  boast  not  of  thy  own  wisdom  and  diligence,  for 
they  are  the  gifts  of  God.  Or,  if  less  prosperity  has 
been  thy  portion,  and  poverty  has  been  thy  painful 
lot,  still  thou  hast  had  food  and  raiment ;  and  per- 
haps better  health,  and  more  contentment,  than 
many  of  thy  superiors  ;  and  even  thy  hard  labor  and 
scanty  fare  may  have  been  thy  greatest  blessings,  by 
becoming  the  means  of  preserving  thee  from  the 
snares  of  prosperity,  and  the  love  of  the  world, 
which  have  proved  the  ruin  of  some  of  thy  richer 
neighbors. 

In  the  course  of  a  long  life,  it  is  probable  that  you 
may  have  cause  to  look  back  on  some  remarkable 
deliverances  from  danger.  If  you  have  been  to  sea, 
it  is  likely  that  you  have  weathered  many  a  hard 
gale,  or  narrowly  escaped  a  fatal  shipwreck ;  your 
companions,  it  may  be,  perished  in  the  mighty  waters, 


41]  GRATEFUL   RECOLLECTIONS.  ^ 

but  your  life  was  given  you  for  a  prey.  O  that  sea- 
men, thus  preserved,  "  would  praise  the  Lord  for  his 
goodness,  and  for  his  wonderful  works  to  the  children 
of  men."  But  there  are  also  many  dangers  on  land 
as  well  as  at  sea.  Workmen,  in  some  employments, 
are  exposed  to  great  danger  or  diseases ;  and  tra- 
vellers to  many  sad  disasters.  Preservation  from 
these  is  a  special  benefit,  to  be  thankfully  recorded 
and  acknowledged. 

Few  have  lived  long  in  the  world  who  have  not, 
at  times,  been  dangerously  ill.  There  was  a  time, 
perhaps,  when  some  alarming  disease  had  so  far 
prevailed  that  little  or  no  hope  of  life  could  be  in- 
dulged ;  when,  apparently,  there  was  but  a  step  be- 
tween thee  and  death.  But  God  spake  the  word ;  he 
rebuked  the  disease,  and  health  was  once  more  re- 
stored. Did  you  render  to  the  Lord  according  to  the 
benefit  received  ?  Did  you  remember  the  vows  you 
made  in  sickness,  when  you  resolved,  that  if  God 
would  spare  your  life  you  would  mind  religion  more, 
and  serve  the  Lord  better  than  you  did  before  ?  Let 
conscience  answer.  The  Psalmist,  whose  words  com- 
pose our  text,  adds,  almost  immediately  after  them, 
"Who  healeth  all  thy  diseases;"  making  recovery 
from  sickness  one  of  the  special  benefits  which  ought 
not  to  be  forgotten. 

Let  DOMESTIC  COMFORTS  also  be  thankfully  re- 
membered. It  is  God  who  makes  the  solitary  to 
dwell  in  famiUes.  Our  Maker  thought  it  not  good 
for  man  to  be  alone;  and,  by  the  institution  of  mar- 
riage, laid  the  foundation  of  a  thousand  comforts, 


6  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [42 

and  the  numberless  charities  of  social  life.  T^he 
reader  has  probably  sustained  the  relation  of  a  hus- 
band, or  wife,  or  parent,  or  brother,  or  sister ;  and 
from  these  tender  relations  has  received,  for  many  a 
year,  a  rich  variety  and  a  succession  of  his  chief  de- 
lights ;  they  have  been  the  source  of  his  principal 
happiness  through  life.  Let  not  these  be  all  buried 
in  oblivion.  Some  of  those  dear  relatives  are  gone 
to  the  grave,  but  you  have  not  forgotten  their  kind- 
ness ;  O  forget  not  to  praise  that  God  from  whom 
all  their  kindness  flowed. 

But  there  are  greater  benefits  by  far  than  those 
which  have  been  mentioned — Religious  privi- 
leges and  SPIRITUAL  BENEFITS ;  privileges  which, 
if  rightly  improved,  and  benefits  which,  if  truly  ex- 
perienced, extend  to  the  eternal  world,  and  will  give 
occasion  for  everlasting  praises. 

What  a  privilege  is  it  to  have  been  born  in  this 
Christian  and  Protestant  country ;  in  this  land  of 
Gospel  light  and  religious  liberty !  Let  the  aged,  as 
well  as  the  juvenile  Christian,  say, 

"  Lord,  I  ascribe  it  to  thy  grace, 
"  And  not  to  chance,  as  others  do, 
"  That  I  was  born  of  Christian  race, 
"  And  not  a  Heathen,  or  a  Jew." 

Here  we  have  the  Bible,  the  Word  of  God,  in  our 
own  language ;  that  holy  book,  which,  by  the  teach- 
ing of  the  Holy  Spirit  who  inspired  it,  is  able  to 


43]  GRATEFUL    RECOLLECTIONS.  "I 

make  us  "  wise  to  salvation,  through  faith  which  is 
in  Christ  Jesus."  Here  we  are  not  forbidden  to  read 
it,  as  the  people  were  in  former  days,  and  some  are 
still ;  but  have  every  encouragement  to  search  the 
Scriptures  for  ourselves,  and  to  make  them  the  test 
of  all  religious  opinions. 

Here,  also,  we  enjoy  the  rich  privilege  of  hearing 
the  Gospel.  God  has  favored  our  country  with  many 
able  and  faithful  ministers  of  the  truth,  who  plainly 
and  fully  declare  the  whole  counsel  of  God.  "  Blessed 
are  our  eyes,  for  they  see,  and  our  ears,  for  they  hear !" 
Thrice  blessed  are  we  if  the  eyes  of  our  understand- 
ing have  been  enlightened  to  discern  the  Savior; 
and,  feeling  our  need  of  him,  to  flee  to  him  for  re- 
fuge, to  receive  him  as  our  Prophet  to  teach  us,  our 
Priest  who  atoned  for  us,  our  King  to  rule  over  us. 
Blessed,  indeed,  are  they  who  "  know  Christ ;  win 
Christ ;  are  found  in  Christ ;"  who  hope  and  trust 
in  Christ,  to  whom  "  he  is  become  precious,"  yea, 
"  all  in  all." 

Some  may  also  look  back  to  early  life,  and  have 
reason  to  bless  God  that  they  are  descended  from 
pious  parents,  and  have  enjoyed  the  benefit  of  a  re- 
ligious education  ;  and  that  they  had  the  advantage 
of  a  father's  or  of  a  mother's  instruction  and  ex- 
ample ;  if,  indeed,  that  instruction  was  received,  and 
that  example  followed.  If  not,  if  notwithstanding 
such  advantages,  the  way  of  sin  and  folly  was  pre- 
ferred and  persisted  in,  those  abused  privileges  will 
rise  up  in  judgment  to  condemn  the  aged  transgres- 
sor; and  those  dear  and  valuable  parents  will  be 


6  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGEB.  [44 

obliged  to  become  witnesses  against  their  children. 
But,  God  forbid !  May  the  parents  meet  their  pos- 
terity in  glory,  and  say,  to  the  praise  of  divine  grace, 
"  Here  are  we,  and  the  children  which  thou  gavest 
us."  What  a  happy  meeting  will  that  be ! 

And  now,  having  called  to  mind  some  of  the  many 
mercies  and  blessings  received,  let  the  reader  adopt 
the  words  of  the  holy  Psalmist,  and  say,  "  What  shall 
I  render  unto  the  Lord /or  all  his  benefits  tmvard  meV^ 
Psalm  116 :  12. 

This  is  the  inquiry  of  a  grateful  soul,  "loaded,"  as 
the  Scripture  expresses  it,  "  wkh  his  benefits;"  over- 
whelmed, as  it  w^ere,  with  a  sense  of  their  multitude 
and  magnitude,  and  of  his  own  utter  unworthiness. 
Thus  the  patriarch  Jacob,  when  returning  to  his 
own  country  after  an  absence  of  many  years,  review- 
ing the  dealings  of  God  with  him,  says,  "  O  God  of 
my  fathers,  I  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the 
mercies,  or,  (as  it  is  in  the  margin,)  /  am  less  than 
the  least  of  all  the  mercies,  and  of  all  the  truth  which 
thou  hast  showed  unto  thy  servant ;  for  with  my  staff 
I  passed  over  this  Jordan,  and  now  I  am  become 
two  bands  !"  Jacob  was  a  good  man,  and,  by  his 
wealth,  a  great  man ;  but  he  was  also  a  humble  man, 
and  owns,  as  every  sinner  ought,  that  he  was  totally 
unworthy  of  all,  of  any,  of  the  numerous  mercies  he 
had  received  since  the  time  he  fled  from  his  father's 
house  to  avoid  the  rage  of  his  brother  Esau;  he  was 
then  like  a  forlorn  pilgrim ;  he  had  no  guide,  no 
companion,  no  servant,  no  possessions ;  nothing  but 


45]  GRATEFUL    RECOLLECTIONS.  9 

his  walking- staff  to  lean  upon  when  weary ;  and  now, 
notwithstanding  he  had  passed  through  many  severe 
trials  in  the  service  of  Laban,  he  had  a  numerous 
family,  and  very  great  possessions  of  flocks,  and 
herds,  and  camels.  He  admires  the  bounty  of 
God  to  himself,  an  undeserving  sinner. 

Such  were  also  the  feelings  of  David  when  raised 
to"  the  throne  of  Israel ;  and  thus  he  expressed 
them,  "  Who  am  I,  O  Lord  God,  and  what  is  my 
father's  house,  that  thou  hast  brought  me  hitherto. 
And  is  this  the  manner  of  man,  O  Lord  God  ?  and 
what  can  David  say  more  unto  thee  ?"  David  was  a 
very  eminent  man,  a  man  of  great  gifts,  great  valor, 
great  success,  "  the  darling  of  his  country  and  the 
dread  of  his  enemies ;"  but  he  thought  meanly  of 
himself,  and  ascribed  all  his  prosperity  and  elevation 
to  the  goodness  of  God,  whose  undeserved  favors  had 
no  parallel  in  the  dealings  of  men.  Now,  if  such  was 
the  language  of  that  great  and  good  man,  Oh  with 
what  deep  humility  should  our  gratitude  be  mingled  ! 

We  should  abound  in  the  praises  of  God ;  we 
should  "  abundantly  utter  the  memory  of  his  great 
goodness.  It  is  good  to  sing  praises  unto  our  God ; 
for  it  is  pleasant,  and  praise  is  comely."  And  though 
our  poor  praises  are  not  worthy  of  his  acceptance, 
yet  he  is  pleased  to  say,  "Whoso  ofFereth  praise 
glorifieth  me."  But  let  us  put  our  praises  into  the 
hands  of  Jesus,  our  great  High  Priest,  that  they  may 
be  presented  with  the  fragrant  incense  of  his  pow- 
erful intercession.  *'  By  him,  therefore,  let  us  offer 
the  sacrifice  of  praise  to  God  continually,  that  is, 
the  fruit  of  our  lips,  giving  thanks  to  his  name." 


10  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [46 

But  more  is  requisite  than  the  fruit  of  the  lips. 
Let  us  praise  him,  "  not  only  with  our  lips,  but  in 
our  lives  ;  by  giving  up  ourselves  to  his  service,  and 
by  walking  before  him  in  holiness  and  righteousness 
all  our  days."  Thus  St.  Paul,  after  treating  at 
large  on  those  great  blessings  of  salvation — justifi- 
cation by  the  blood  of  Christ,  sanctification  by  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  and  the  future  glory  of  believers — 
urges,  from  a  sense  of  obligation,  the  great  duty  of 
devotedness  to  God :  **  I  beseech  you,  therefore, 
brethren,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present 
your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto 
God,  which  is  your  reasonable  service."  And  say, 
Reader,  is  not  this  your  reasonable  service  ?  Did  you 
not  too  long  yield  the  members  of  your  body  as 
instruments  of  sin  ?  Now,  then,  yield  yourself  unto 
God,  as  one  who  is  alive  from  the  dead,  and  your 
members  as  instruments  of  righteousness  unto  God. 
The  years  that  are  past  may  sufiice,  and  more  than 
suffice,  to  have  "  wrought  the  will  of  the  Gentiles  ;" 
and  now  apply  to  yourself  this  question,  "What 
fruit  had  ye  in  those  things  whereof  ye  are  now 
ashamed  ?  for  the  end  of  those  things  is  death."  But 
if,  through  grace,  you  are  no  longer  the  servant  of 
sin,  but  the  servant  of  God,  let  your  fruit  be  unto 
holiness,  and  the  end  shall  be  everlasting  life.  "  Bless 
the  Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  his  benefits. 
Thanks  be  unto  God  for  Jesus  Christ,  his  unspeak- 
able gift." 


47]  GRATEFUL  RECOLLECTIONS.  It 


PRAYER. 

O  God,  thou  art  good,  and  doest  good,  and  thy 
tender  mercies  are  over  all  thy  works.  Thou  art 
the  great  Preserver  of  men,  who  givest  us  all  things 
richly  to  enjoy.  Oh!  how  many  and  how  great 
have  been  thy  favors  bestowed  upon  me.  When 
I  review  the  years  that  are  past,  I  may  truly  say, 
Goodness  and  mercy  have  followed  me  all  my  days ; 
in  helpless  infancy,  in  thoughtless  childhood,  and  in 
giddy  youth.  From  thy  undeserved  goodness  I  re- 
ceived strength  for  labor  ;  my  food  and  my  raiment ; 
my  preservation  from  danger,  and  recovery  from 
sickness.  From  thee,  the  source  of  every  comfort, 
I  derived  all  my  relative  and  domestic  blessings; 
and,  above  all,  I  thank  and  praise  thee  "for  the 
means  of  grace  and  the  hopes  of  glory."  Thanks 
be  to  thee  for  the  precious  Bible,  and  for  the  glad 
tidings  of  the  gospel,  and  for  the  grace  of  thy 
Holy  Spirit.  O  that  a  due  sense  of  all  thy  mercies 
may  rest  upon  my  heart,  and  constrain  me  to 
depart  from  all  iniquity,  and  to  do  those  things 
which  are  pleasing  in  thy  sight.  And  O  that  it  may 
be  my  happiness  to  join  the  redeemed  throng  in  the 
heavenly  world,  and  to  unite  with  them  in  the 
praises  of  God  and  the  Lamb  for  evermore.     Amen. 


IZ 


SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED. 


[48 


HYMN. 

When  all  thy  mercies,  O  my  God, 

My  rising  soul  surveys, 
Transported  with  the  view,  I'm  lost 

In  wonder,  love,  and  praise. 

Thy  providence  my  life  sustain'd, 
And  all  my  wants  redrest. 

When  in  the  silent  womb  I  lay, 
And  hung  upon  the  breast. 

When  in  the  slippery  paths  of  youth 
With  heedless  steps  I  ran, 

Thine  arm,  unseen,  convey'd  me  safe, 
And  led  me  up  to  man. 

Through  every  period  of  my  life 
Thy  goodness  I'll  pursue  ; 

And  after  death,  in  distant  worlds, 
The  glorious  theme  renew. 


PUBLISHED    BY    THE    AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY. 


SERIMEOXVS  SO   TBB  AOSB....3)TO.  5. 


THE  CONVERSION  OF  MANASSEH, 


And  when  he  was  in  affliction  he  besought  the  Lord 
his  God,  and  humbled  himself  greatly  before  the 
God  of  his  fathers,  and  prayed  unto  him :  and  he 
was  entreated  of  him,  and  heard  his  supplication, 
and  brought  him  again  to  Jerusalem,  into  his  king- 
dom.  Then  Manasseh  knew  that  the  Lord  he  was 
God.— 2  Chron.  33  :  12,  13. 

The  conversion  of  an  aged  sinner  is  a  useful  sub- 
ject for  an  aged  reader,  whether  he  be  in  a  converted 
or  in  an  unconverted  state.  If  he  is  a  converted  per- 
son, he  will  ascribe  the  change  of  his  own  heart  to 
the  same  free  and  powerful  grace  of  God  which 
changed  the  heart  of  king  Manasseh ;  and  if  he  is 
yet  unconverted,  he  may  learn  the  necessity  of  such 
a  change,  and  be  led  to  *'  humble  himself  greatly" 
before  an  offended  God,  not  without  hope  of  being 
accepted  and  pardoned  through  Jesus  Christ. 

The  history  of  the  Jewish  nation  is  like  a  faithful 
mirror  in  which  human  nature  is  clearly  shown, 
both  in  its  best  and  in  its  worst  forms.  Here  we 
behold  the  depravity  and  rebellion  of  man  in  its 
most  horrible  degree,  as  in  the  case  of  Manasseh, 


^  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED»  [50 

before  us.  Here,  too,  we  behold,  with  astonish 
ment,  the  extent  of  divine  mercy,  and  the  power  of 
divine  grace ;  we  learn  not  only  that  "  there  is 
forgiveness  with  God,"  but  that  "  where  sin  abound- 
ed, grace  hath  much  more  abounded."  In  no  case, 
perhaps,  has  this  great  truth  been  more  fully  exem- 
plified than  in  that  of  Manasseh. 

That  we  may  obtain  the  instruction  which  this 
passage  suggests,  let  us  first  take  a  view  of  Manas- 
seh's  criminal  conduct;  and,  secondly,  make  some 
remarks  on  his  repentance,  and  on  the  mercy  he 
obtained. 

1.  Manasseh  was  the  son  of  Hezekiah,  one  of 
the  best  and  most  pious  kings  that  ever  reigned. 
"  He  did  that  which  was  right  in  the  sight  of  the 
Lord,  according  to  all  that  David  his  father  had 
done."  He  succeeded  wicked  Ahaz,  who  had 
abolished  the  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  established 
abominable  idolatries  ;  but  Hezekiah  began  his 
glorious  reign  by  restoring  the  house  and  service  of 
God,  and  reclaiming  the  nation  from  their  impiety. 
"  He  wrought  that  which  was  good,  and  right,  and 
truth,  before  the  Lord  his  God  ;  and  in  every  work 
that  he  begun  in  the  service  of  the  house  of  God, 
and  in  the  law,  and  in  the  commandments,  to  seek 
his  God,  he  did  it  with  all  his  heart,  and  prospered.'* 

What  might  not  have  been  expected  from  a  son 
brought  up  under  such  a  father  ?  for  no  doubt  he 
was  well  instructed  by  precept,  as  well  as  by  ex- 
ample.   But,  O  what  a  change  took  place  when 


51]  CONVERf5TON    OP    MANAeSFH.  3 

Manasseh  ascended  the  throne  !  He  began  to  reign 
when  only  twelve  years  of  age ;  and,  probably,  fell 
into  the  hands  of  some  of  his  wicked  grandfather's 
counsellors,  who  advised  him  to  set  aside  the  holy 
religion  of  Jehovah,  and  to  substitute  the  base  and 
obscene  worship  of  the  idolatrous  heathen.  All 
that  Hezekiah  had  done  was  speedily  overthrown  ; 
the  worship  of  Jehovah  was  suppressed,  and  the 
worship  of  Baal,  and  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  was 
set  up  in  its  stead;  and  for  this  purpose  he  built 
altars  in  the  court  of  the  Lord's  house ;  he  placed  an 
idolatrous  image  in  the  temple  itself,  and  performed 
religious  rites,  accompanied  with  abominable  prac- 
tices, like  those  of  the  Canaanites,  whom  God  had 
destroyed  because  of  their  detestable  wickedness. 
He  was  so  infatuated  by  his  paganish  religion  as  to 
cause  his  own  children  to  pass  through  the  fire  in 
honor  of  his  idols.  Instead  of  having  recourse  for 
advice  to  the  prophets  and  priests  of  Jehovah,  "  he 
used  enchantments  and  witchcraft,  and  dealt  with 
familiar  spirits."  Witches  and  wizards  having,  or 
pretending  to  have,  supernatural  powers,  certainly 
existed  in  ancient  times;  though  now,  amidst  the 
light  and  power  of  Christ  by  the  gospel,  we  know 
nothing  of  them.  , 

Not  content  with  the  practice  of  idolatry  by  him- 
self or  his  family,  he  prohibited  the  true  religion  ; 
and  with  diabolical  cruelty  persecuted  those  (and 
we  suppose  there  were  many)  who  still  adhered  to 
it.  There  must  have  been  thousands  of  the  pious 
worshippers  of  God  in  the  twenty-nine  years  of 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [52 

Hezekiah's  reign.  The  number  of  sufferers,  there- 
fore, must  have  been  very  great.  We  read  in 
2  Kings,  21 :  16,  that  *'he  shed  innocent  blood  very 
much,  till  he  had  filled  Jerusalem  from  one  end  to 
another."  Multitudes  of  infants  were  probably  sa- 
crificed to  Moloch  ;  his  government,  it  is  likely,  was 
arbitrary  and  cruel,  and  the  number  of  martyrs  to 
the  cause  of  God  very  great.  This  was  a  dreadful 
aggravation  of  his  monstrous  guilt ;  for  he  not  only 
sinned  exceedingly  himself,  but  "he  made  Judah 
to  sin ;  he  seduced  the  people  ts  do  more  evil  than 
did  the  nations  whom  the  Lord  destroyed  before  the 
children  of  Israel." 

All  this  he  did  in  spite  of  the  warnings  and  re- 
monstrances of  the  prophets  and  seers,  who  spake 
to  him  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  who  had  the 
courage  to  deliver  this  terrible  message,  **  Behold, 
I  am  bringing  such  evil  upon  Jerusalem  and  Judah, 
that  whosoever  heareth  of  it  both  his  ears  shall 
tingle  ;  and  I  will  stretch  over  Jerusalem  the  line  of 
Samaria,  and  the  plummet  of  the  house  of  Ahab ; 
and  I  will  wipe  Jerusalem  as  a  man  wipeth  a  dish, 
wiping  it  and  turning  it  upside  down;  and  I  will 
forsake  the  remnant  of  mine  inheritance ;  and  I 
will  deliver  them  into  the  hand  of  their  enemies, 
and  they  shall  become  a  prey  and  a  spoil  unto  all 
their  enemies." 

We  may  conclude,  from  this  dreadful  threatening, 
that  God  was  greatly  displeased  5  wo  may  judge  of 
the  enormity  of  the  guilt  contracted,  by  the  terrors 
of  the  punishment  threatened,  which  was  actually 


53]  CONVERSION   OP    MANAS SEH  S 

inflicted  when  Nebuchadnezzar  burnt  Jerusalem, 
and  carried  Judah  into  captivity.  But  long  before 
this  general  ruin  took  place  the  land  vi^as  invaded 
by  the  "captains  of  the  host  of  the  king  of  Assyria." 
The  particulars  of  this  invasion,  and  of  the  resis- 
tance made  by  Manasseh,  are  not  recorded ;  but  we 
are  informed  that  he  fled  for  his  life,  was  taken  pri- 
soner among  the  thorns,  or  in  some  secret  covert  of 
a  wood  or  garden,  where  he  had  concealed  himself; 
that  he  was  loaded  with  chains  and  carried  to  Baby- 
lon, where  it  is  probable  that  he  was  confined  in  a 
dungeon  and  suffered  severe  affliction. 

And  now  what  might  be  expected  but  that  he 
would  become  "  a  terror  to  himself;"  and  that  by 
some  uncommon  tortures,  proportioned  in  some  de- 
gree to  the  unparalleled  enormity  of  his  crimes,  and 
the  guilt  of  his  numberless  murders,  he  would  finish 
his  bloody  course  on  the  scaffold,  abhorred  by  God 
and  detested  by  man,  and  then  be  banished  to  the 
world  of  punishment,  "where  their  worm  dieth  not, 
and  their  fire  is  not  quenched." 

But,  stop !  Hear  the  word  of  the  Lord.  "  My 
thoughts  are  not  your  thoughts;  neither  are  your 
ways  my  ways,  saith  the  Lord :  for,  as  the  heavens 
are  higher  than  the  earth,  so  are  my  ways  higher 
than  your  ways,  and  my  thoughts  than  your  thoughts." 
Isaiah,  55 : 8,  9. 

Had  we  read  in  the  Bible  only  of  the  sins  of  Ma- 
nasseh, as  recorded  in  the  second  book  of  Kings, 
(chap.  21,)  and  not  the  account  of  his  repentance  in 
the  book  of  Chronicles,  (chap*  33,)  we  should  have 


6  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [54 

concluded  that  he  had  "died  in  his  sins ;"  that,  hke 
Judas,  "  he  had  gone  to  his  own  place ;"  and  that 
his  torments  would  have  exceeded  those  of  any  mise- 
rable sufferer  there.  But  God's  thoughts  and  pro- 
ceedings are  not  to  be  regulated  by  ours.  God,  the 
holy  and  the  just,  infinite  in  mercy,  thought  proper 
to  make  Manasseh  a  trophy  of  his  grace,  and  thus 
to  hold  forth  to  all  the  world  a  prop  against  despair, 
and  to  show  the  most  guilty  of  mankind  that  "there 
is  forgiveness  with  him  that  he  may  be  feared." 

II.  Let  us  now,  therefore,  proceed  to  the  second 
part  of  our  discourse,  which  is  to  make  some  re- 
marks on  the  repentance  of  Manasseh,  and  the 
mercy  he  obtained. 

Let  us  first  notice  his  afl^iction.  "  The  Lord 
brought  upon  him  the  army  of  the  Assyrians ;"  so  it 
is  expressed.  Was  it  not  the  pride  and  ambition  of 
the  enemy  that  brought  them  ?  It  was.  But  still  "it 
w^as  the  Lord."  War  is  his  scourge  by  which  he 
punishes  wicked  princes  and  wicked  nations.  Sin  is 
the  procuring  cause  of  national  calamities ;  it  w^as 
evidently  so  in  this  case.  The  enemy  prevailed,  and 
Manasseh  fled  for  his  life;  glad  to  exchange  his 
rooms  of  state  for  the  covert  of  thick  trees  or  thorny 
hedges.  But  his  eager  pursuers  found  out  his  retreat ; 
seized  his  person,  loaded  him  with  chains,  and  car- 
ried him  away,  four  hundred  miles  or  more,  to  the 
capital  of  the  conqueror. 

In  the  sohtary  dungeon  Manasseh  had  time  for 
reflection.    In  the  day  of  adversity  he  began  to  con- 


65]  CONVERSION   OP    MANASSEH.  J 

sider.  A  great  revolution  in  his  affairs  had  taken 
place.  He  had  lost  his  throne  ;  w^as  driven  from  his 
country ;  was  separated  from  his  family,  his  courtiers, 
his  friends ;  was  shut  up  in  a  prison,  and  had  pro- 
bably no  hope  of  restoration,  or  even  of  life.  In  this 
sad  sohtude  he  begins  to  reflect  on  his  past  conduct. 
The  piety,  the  zeal,  the  counsels,  the  example  of  his 
good  father  would  recur  to  his  memory;  his  own 
folly  in  forsaking  the  God  of  his  fathers ;  his  impious 
zeal  to  destroy  the  true  religion ;  his  establishment 
of  a  base  idolatiy ;  his  own  vices  and  those  of  his 
people ;  his  cruel  and  bloody  persecution  of  the  faith- 
ful; all  these  would  rusk  into  his  mind,  and  he 
might  reasonably^  conchide  that  his  present  suffer- 
ings were  the  just  punishment  of  his  multiplied 
and  aggravated  offences,  and  the  prelude  of  ever- 
lasting pains. 

These  painful  reflections  had  a  good  issue.  He 
did  not  sink  into  despair,  nor  venture  to  blaspheme 
his  Maker.  He  had  not  recourse,  as  too  many  have 
in  trouble,  to  intemperance,  trying  to  drown  their 
cares  and  sorrows  in  strong  drink;  but,  like  the  pro- 
digal son  in  the  parable,  when  reduced  to  extreme 
poverty,  "  he  came  t©  himself;"  and  then  resolved 
to  return  to  his  father;  so  Manasseh  "  humbled  him- 
self gr^a^  before  Jehovah,  the  God  of  his  fathers." 
Oh,  who  can  tell  what  tortures  of  conscience,  what 
pangs  of  grief,  what  fears  of  wrath,  what  agonizing 
remorse  he  endured  when  he  looked  back  on,  per- 
haps, forty  years  of  his  own  apostacy  and  rebellion 
against  God,  on  his  having  led  thousands  into  sin 


fe  BERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  '  [56 

and  perdition ;  and  on  his  '*  blood  guiltiness"  in  the 
persecution  of  a  multitude  of  God's  children. 

Penitence  led  him  to  prayer.  This  is  the  best  re- 
fuge of  the  guilty  sinner.  "  Is  any  man  afflicted?  let 
him  pray.  Call  upon  me  in  the  day  of  trouble,"  saith 
God  himself,  who  heareth  prayer,  "  and  I  will  de- 
liver thee,  and  thou  shalt  glorify  me."  Doubtless  his 
prayer  was .  for  mercy ;  perhaps  in  the  words  of 
David,  his  ancestor,  as  in  Psalm  51 : 1.  "  Have 
mercy  upon  me,  O  God,  according  to  thy  loving- 
kindness  ;  according  unto  the  multitude  of  thy  tender 
mercies  blot  out  my  transgressions."  His  praying  is 
particularly  noticed,  though  we  have  not  the  words 
of  his  prayer.  We  have,  indeed,  in  the  Apocrypha, 
a  prayer  ascribed  to  him,  on  which,  however,  we  can 
place  no  dependance;  yet  the  following  sentences 
were  suitable  to  his  condition.  "  I  have  sinned  above 
the  number  of  the  sands  of  the  sea.  My  transgres- 
sions, O  Lord,  are  multiplied.  I  am  bowed  down 
with  many  iron  bands,  that  I  cannot  lift  up  my  head, 
for  I  have  provoked  thy  wrath.  Thine  angry  threat- 
enings  toward  sinners  are  insupportable,  but  thy 
merciful  promise  is  unmeasurable  and  unsearchable ; 
for  thou  art  the  most  high  Lord,  of  great  compas- 
sion, long-suffering,  very  merciful,  and  according  to 
thy  great  goodness,  hast  promised  repentance  and 
forgiveness  to  them  that  have  sinned  against  thee  ; 
I  humbly  beseech  thee,  forgive  me  O  Lord,  forgive 
me,  and  destroy  me  not  with  mine  iniquities." 

It  was  the  misfortune  of  Manasseh  to  be  deprived 
of  his  pious  father  when  he  was  only  twelve  years 


57]  CONVERSION   OP    MANASSEH.  9 

of  age :  yet,  we  may  suppose  that  he  had  not  en- 
tirely forgotten  the  instructions  of  his  godly  parent. 
Probably  he  had  some  of  the  psalms  in  his  memory  ; 
he  had  gone  with  his  father  to  the  temple  of  God, 
and  had  observed  the  ordinances  of  religion.  He 
had  witnessed  the  solemn  service  on  the  day  of 
atonement,  the  sacrifice  for  the  nation's  sins,  and 
he  had  heard  the  blessing  pronounced  by  the  high 
priest  after  he  had  presented  the  blood  in  the  holy 
of  holies.  The  design  of  all  this  it  is  likely  that 
Hezekiah  or  the  priests  had  explained  to  him,  so 
that  he  knew  the  way  of  salvation,  as  far  as  it  could 
then  be  known ;  and  though  he  had  neglected  and 
despised  it  all,  yet  now  that  he  was  in  trouble,  and 
afraid  of  the  wrath  of  God,  he  was  prepared  to  seek 
his  face  and  favor  with  his  whole  heart. 

Happy  was  the  result.  "God  was  entreated  of 
him,"  and  "  all  the  sins  and  trespasses  he  had 
committed  before  he  was  humbled"  were  forgiven. 
Marvellous  mercy !  most  astonishing  grace  !  Well 
may  we  exclaim,  "  Who  is  a  God  like  unto  thee, 
pardoning  iniquity,  transgression,  and  sin!" 

The  sincerity  of  Manasseh's  repentance  was 
proved  by  "  works  meet  for  repentance ;"  for  when 
God,  in  his  great  goodness,  and  by  his  wonderful 
providence,  restored  him  to  his  country  and  his 
throne,  he  immediately  abolished  idolatry,  destroy- 
ed the  altars  of  idols,  and  repaired  the  altar  of 
Jehovah,  sacrificed  peace-ofiferings  and  thank-of- 
ferings thereon,  and  commanded  Judah  to  serve 
the  Lord  God  of  Israel.     And  thus  he  proved  that 


10  SERMONS   TO   THE   AGED.  [58 

"  he  knew  that  the  Lord  (Jehovah)  was  God  :"  he 
was  convinced  that  the  idols  he  had  worshipped 
were  vanity  and  Hes,  and  that  Jehovah  is  the  only 
living  and  true  God,  alone  worthy  to  be  adored, 
beloved,  and  obeyed. 

1.  Young  people  should  learn  important  lessons 
from  the  history  of  Manasseh.  Like  him,  you, 
perhaps,  have  had  a  rehgious  education.  You  were 
trained  up  in  the  way  you  should  go ;  take  care  not 
to  depart  from  it ;  shun  the  company  of  the  ungodly, 
who  would  tempt  you  to  forsake  it ;  and  do  not  pre- 
sume that,  if  you  sin  like  Manasseh,  you  shall,  like 
him,  be  restored.  Amon,  the  son  of  Manasseh,  was 
a  wicked  and  idolatrous  prince,  and  notwithstanding 
he  knew  what  his  father  suffered  for  his  sin,  and  how 
God  had  restored  him  when  he  repented,  yet  *'  he 
humbled  not  himself  as  his  father  had  done,  but 
trespassed  more  and  more.'* 

2.  We  may  learn  not  to  despair  of  the  recovery 
of  the  greatest  sinners.  Had  we  witnessed  the 
enormous  wickedness  of  Manasseh,  we  should  have 
given  him  up  for  lost.  Thus  many  serious  persons 
are  ready  to  despair  of  the  conversion  of  those  who 
sin  with  a  high  hand.  But  "  is  any  thing  too  hard 
for  the  Lord  ?"  No  :  "he  is  mighty  to  save;  able  to 
save  to  the  uttermost." 

3.  But  let  none  dare  to  persist  in  sin,  presuming 
that  they  may  repent  and  reform  when  they  please. 
We  have  very  few  instances  of  the  conversion  of 
notorious  offenders,  like  Manasseh.     A  few  there 


59]  CONVERSION   OP   MANASSEH.  II 

are,  that  none  may  despair  ;  and  but  few,  that  none 
may  presume. 

4.  The  recovery  of  Manasseh,  vrhen  in  deep 
affliction,  may  serve  to  reconcile  us  to  afflictions. 
What  reason  had  he  to  say,  **  It  is  good  for  me  that 
I  have  been  afflicted,  for  before  I  was  afflicted  I  went 
astray,  but  now  have  I  kept  thy  word."  Had  he 
retained  his  palace  in  Jerusalem,  or  been  luxuriously 
entertained  in  the  palace  at  Babylon,  we  might 
never  have  heard  of  his  conversion ;  but  trouble,  and 
solitude,  and  reflection,  were  the  means  which  were 
blessed  to  bring  him  to  God. 

5.  Above  all,  let  us  learn  to  admire  and  adore  the 
riches  of  divine  grace.  Here  was  grace  indeed! 
True  grace !  Abounding  grace  !  Here,  indeed,  did 
grace  reign  in  glorious  sovereignty,  and  Manasseh 
might  have  said,  as  Saul,  the  converted  persecutor, 
said,  "  I  obtained  mercy," — and  *'  the  grace  of  our 
Lord  was  exceeding  abundant " — "  and  for  this 
cause  I  obtained  mercy,  that  in  me  first  Jesus  Christ 
might  show  forth  all  long-sufl^ering,  for  a  pattern  to 
them  who  should  hereafter  believe  on  him  to  life 
everlasting." 

We  conclude  with  St.  Paul's  doxology,  "  Now, 
unto  the  King  eternal,  immorta,  invisible,  the 
only  wise  God,  be  honor  and  glory,  for  ever  and 
ever.     Amen. 


12  SERMONS   TO   THE   AGDE.  [60 

PRAYER. 

•* 
Almighty  God,  and  most  merciful  Father,  thou 
art  infinitely  pure  and  holy,  and  hatest  iniquity  with 
a  perfect  hatred.  Thine  anger  against  sin  has  been 
awfully  manifested  in  our  world  ever  since  the  fall 
of  Adam,  by  whose  disobedience  sin  entered  into  the 
world,  and  death,  with  all  its  attendant  miseries. 
Thou  hast  also  declared  that  the  wicked  shall  be 
turned  into  hell,  where  the  worm  dieth  not,  and  the 
fire  is  not  quenched. 

.Nevertheless,   it  hath  pleased  thee  to  proclaim 

thine  own  name,  "  as  the  Lord  God,   merciful  and 

gracious,   keeping  mercy  for  thousands,    forgiving 

iniquity,  transgression,  and  sin ;"  and  thou  hast  "  so 

loved  the  world  as  to  give  thine  only  begotten  Son  to 

be  a  sacrifice  for  sin,  that  whosoever  believeth  on 

him  should  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life." 

Thanks  be  to  thee,  O  God  of  all  grace,  for  this 

provision  of  mercy,   and  these  promises  of  pardon 

through  the  atonement  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Thou  hast  also  encouraged  great  sinners  to  apply 

for  mercy,  by  the  examples  of  Manasseh  and  Paul. 

O  God,  I  need  mercy  as  much  as  they  did.    O  glorify 

the  same  mercy  in  the  pardon  of  all  my  sins,  for  the 

sake  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Lord  and  the  Redeemer. 

Amen. 


PUBLISHED   BY   THE   AMERICAN   TRACT   SOCIETf. 


SSR3MCOS7S  TO   THE  AGSB....S70,  6, 


THE  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED. 


That  the  aged  nien  he  sober,  grave,  temperate,  sound 
in  faith,  in  charity,  in  patience, — Titus,  2 : 2. 

The  two  principal  designs  of  the  Scriptures  are, 
to  teach  us  what  we  are  to  believe  concerning  God, 
and  what  duties  he  requires  of  us ;  or,  in  other 
words,  to  direct  both  our  faith  and  our  practice. 
Thus,  St.  Paul  says  in  the  11th  and  12th  verses  of 
this  chapter,  that  "  the  grace  of  God,"  or  the  Gospel, 
"  which  bringeth  salvation  ;"  that  is,  which  reveals 
it  for  "  the  obedience  of  faith,"  teacheth  us  that, 
**  denying  ungodliness  and  worldly  lusts,  we  should 
live  soberly,  righteously,  and  godly,  in  this  present 
world."  Doctrinal  and  practical  preaching  must  go 
together,  for  so  the  apostle  directed  Titus  to  preach, 
(verse  1,)  "  Speak  thou  the  things  which  become 
sound  doctrine."  He  was  first  to  preach  *'  sound  doc- 
trine ;"  the  great  leading  truths  of  the  Gospel,  re- 
lating to  grace  and  salvation ;  and  then,  the  duties 
of  Christians ;  of  aged  men,  aged  women,  young 
men,  young  women,  and  servants.  Practical  preach- 
ing well  accords  with  Evangelical  preaching.    They 


2  SERMONS    TO   THE  AGED.  [62 

are  not  contrary  to  one  another,  as  some  seem  to 
think,  but  are  closely  united,  as  the  same  apostle 
speaks,  (chapter  3,  verse  8,)  "  This  is  a  faithful 
saying ;  and  these  things  I  will  that  thou  affirm  con- 
stantly, that  they  who  have  believed  in  God  might 
be  careful  to  maintain  good  works ;"  and  this  kind 
of  preaching  he  recommends  by  saying,  "  These 
things  are  good  and  profitable  to  men."  And  he  first 
points  out  the  duty  of  aged  men*  None  are  too  old  to 
learn.  Aged  people  should  not  be  self-conceited,  as 
too  many  are,  and  think  they  need  no  instruction ; 
but  be  glad  to  learn  what  are  the  special  duties 
which  God  requires  of  them.  St.  Paul  mentions  them 
in  the  six  following  particulars. 

1.  Soh'iety,  or  watchfulness ;' 2,  Clravity  in  their 
behavior ;  3.  Temperance  in  their  diet  and  other  in- 
dulgences; 4.  Soundness  in  their  faith ;  5.  Charitable- 
ness of  temper  and  practice ;  and  6.  Patience  under 
their  trials  and  infirmities. 

1.  In  the  first  place  sobriety  is  required ;  this 
signifies  sobriety  of  mind,  rather  than  of  appetite ; 
for  temperance  is,  afterward,  separately  mentioned. 
The  aged  Christian  should  be  sober-minded ;  habi- 
tually sedate  and  vigilant.  Our  Savior  strongly  in- 
culcated watchfulness  on  all  his  disciples ;  but  it  is 
peculiarly  necessary  for  the  aged.  The  decays  of 
nature,  the  failure  of  strength,  and  the  various  pains 
and  infirmities  of  advanced  life,  loudly  proclaim  the 
approach  of  death,  which  cannot  be  far  distant,  and 
may  be  near  at  hand,  even  at  the  door.    Many  old 


63]  THE   DUTIES    OP   THE   AGED.  3 

^  people  die  suddenly.  A  fit  of  the  palsy  or  apoplexy 
seizes  the  human  frame,  and  in  a  few  days,  some- 
times in  a  few  hours  or  in  a  few  moments,  life  is 
extinct.  How  often  have  we  read  or  heard  oT  aged 
people  thus  suddenly  taken  ill  at  the  dinner-table,  or 
sitting  in  their  chair,  or  lying  in  their  bed ;  they  have 
been  deprived  of  their  reasoning  powers  in  a  mo- 
ment, soon  dismissed  from  the  body,  and  removed  to 
the  invisible  and  eternal  world !  The  uncertainty  of 
the  time  when  God  shall  call  us  hence  was  urged  by 
our  Lord  as  an  argument  to  enforce  his  exhortation 
to  watchfulnes  :  "Watch,  therefore,  for  ye  know  not 
what  hour  your  Lord  doth  come.  Be  ye  also  ready, 
for  in  such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not,  the  Son  of  man 
Cometh." 

The  aged  should  be  careful  to  improve  all  oppor- 
tunities for  spiritual  improvement :  all  the  means  of 
grace  in  their  power ;  for  probably  many,  very  many, 
have  been  sinfully  neglected ;  and  few,  very  few,  may 
yet  remain.  Aged  people  should  be  watchful  against 
those  evils  to  which  age  is  most  prone,  especially 
covetousnesst  and  love  of  the  world.  They  should  also 
guard  against  pride  and  peevishness,  and  needless  or 
excessive  anger;  and,  above  all,  they  should  "watch 
unto  prayer."  Never  was  it  more  necessary.  Let 
them  now  double  their  former  diligence,  frequency, 
and  fervency,  in  addressing  the  throne  of  grace. 

2.  Gravity,  or  seriousness,  is  requisite  in  the 
character  of  the  aged.  Levity,  or  excessive  gayety 
of  temper  and  talk,  is  censurable  in  all ;  but  it  is  far 
more  blameable  in  the  old  than  in  the  young.     *  Fil- 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [64 

thiness,  foolish  talking  and  jesting,  are  never  conve- 
nient," but  in  aged  people  they  are  intolerably  odious 
and  detestable.  When  a  great  minister  of  state,  in 
former  times,  was  observed  by  some  of  his  friends 
at  court  to  be  more  fond  of  retirement,  and  more 
pensive  than  formerly,  they  rallied  him  upon  it,  fear- 
ing he  was  becoming  melancholy  :  but  that  great 
man  answered  thefn  thus — "Ah!  my  friends,  while 
we  laugh,  all  things  about  us  are  serious.  God  is 
serious,  who  exerciseth  patience  toward  us ;  Christ 
is  serious,  who  shed  his  blood  for  us ;  the  Holy  Ghost 
is  serious,  Avho  striveth  against  the  obstinacy  of  our 
hearts ;  all  that  are  in  heaven,  and  all  that  are  in 
hell,  are  serious.  How  then  can  a  man  that  hath 
one  foot  in  the  grave  jest  and  laugh  ?" 

Cheerfulness,  indeed,  is  very  desirable  and  amiable 
in  the  aged.  True  religion,  and  a  lively  hope  of  hea- 
venly happiness,  may  well  inspire  the  good  man  with 
cheerfulness  ;  it  helps  him  the  better  to  bear  his  in- 
firmities, and  it  renders  him  far  more  pleasing  to  his 
family  and  young  friends ;  but  cheerfulness  must  not 
degenerate  into  folly  and  lightness ;  nor  should  the 
aged  of  either  sex  be  gay  in  their  apparel,  or  fre- 
quent places  of  public  amusement ;  but  retirement, 
reading  the  Scriptures,  attending  the  house  of  God, 
(if  able,)  abounding  in  private  prayer,  and  recom- 
mending religion  by  their  conversation  and  example 
to  their  children  and  grand-children,  and  to  all  about 
them ;  these  are  the  means  whereby  the  aged  may  be- 
come happy  in  themselves,  and  respected  by  others. 
3.  The   next   duty  enjoined  by  the   apostle,   is 


651  THE  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED<  5 

TEMPERANCE.  By  temperance  is  meant  a  moderate 
use  of  the  gifts  of  Providence,  especially  in  eating 
and  drinking.  God  has  so  formed  our  mortal  bodies, 
that  they  must  be  daily  recruited  by  meat  and  drink. 
He  has  mercifully  provided  proper  articles  of  nu- 
triment. At  first,  the  fruit  of  the  trees  was  the  food 
of  man  ;  then  God  granted  a  variety  of  herbs  ;  and, 
lastly,  the  flesh  of  beasts,  birds,  and  fishes.  He  has 
given  man  the  free  use  of  all  these ;  he  has  also 
endowed  him  with  appetite,  that  he  may  seek  his 
food  and  enjoy  it.  But  through  the  depravity  of 
liis  fallen  nature,  he  is  prone  to  abuse  these  gifts  of 
God  by  gluttony  and  drunkenness.  He  is  become 
carnal ;  he  "  minds  earthly  things ;"  he  is  the  na- 
titral,  or  animal  man ;  he  lives  a  life  of  mere  sense, 
like  the  brutes  that  perish ;  and  his  inquiries  are, 
like  those  of  the  heathen,  "  What  shall  we  eat, 
what  shall  we  drink,  and  wherewithal!  shall  we  be 
clothed?"  In  the  mean  while  God  is  forgotten; 
religion  is  disregarded,  perhaps  despised ;  and  the 
salvation  of  the  immortal  soul  totally  neglected. 

This  disposition  and  conduct  is  dangerous  at  any 
period  of  life ;  but  it  is  dreadful,  indeed,  when  fife 
is  drawing  to  a  close.  Then  men  should  be  more 
dead  to  the  world  and  its  pleasures ;  but  if  then  they 
are  intemperate,  their  case  is  truly  awful.  Perhaps 
they  may  plead  that  their  strength  fails,  that  their 
spirits  sink,  and  that  they  need  greater  support  than 
formerly  :  and,  doubtless,  it  is  lawful  to  pay  a  proper 
attention  to  food  and  drink,  and  to  receive  with 
thankfulness  the  needful   supports  of  nature ;  but 


6  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [66 

moderation  is  absolutely  necessary,  even  for  this 
purpose ;  and  the  recourse  that  too  many  aged  men, 
and  it  is  grievous  to  add,  women  also,  have  to  the 
use  of  spirituous  liquors,  can  never  be  sufficiently 
lamented.  It  is  perfectly  shocking  to  see  the  num- 
bers of  persons,  of  both  sexes,  continually  going  in 
and  coming  out  of  liquor-shops ;  and  multitudes  are 
dropping  into  eternity,  in  consequence  of  that  fatal 
practice,  which  grew  upon  them  by  insensible  de- 
grees. O  beware  of  this  poison,  and  abstain  from 
that  intemperance  to  which  the  aged  are  often 
tempted,  and  which  proves  the  ruin  both  of  body 
and  soul. 

How  often  has  it  happened  that  death  has  ensued 
soon  after  going  to  a  feast,  or  gratifying  the  palate 
with  too  great  a  variety  or  quantity  of  meats  and 
drinks.  Observe,  then,  the  caution  of  our  great 
Lord,  "  Take  heed,  lest  at  any  time  your  hearts  be 
overcharged  with  surfeiting  and  drunkenness,  and 
that  day  come  upon  you  unawares."  Let  the  aged 
men,  then,  be  always  temperate ;  let  them  be  very 
moderate  in  the  indulgence  of  appetite,  for  excess  is 
assuredly  highly  prejudicial  to  old  age,  hurtful  to 
health,  and  dangerous  to  the  soul. 

4.  St.  Paul,  in  the  next  place,  exhorts  to  sound- 
ness IN  THE  FAITH.  It  may  seem  peculiar  that  this 
direction  should  be  mingled  with  moral  precepts — 
that  being  "  sound  in  the  faith,"  should  be  joined 
with  sobriety,  gravity,  and  temperance.  Perhaps 
the  reason  may  be  this  : — the  duties  recommended 
will  not  be  performed  by  the  mere  exertions  and 


67]  THE   DUTIES    OP   THE    AGED.  7 

efforts  of  the  natural  man  :  *'  that  which  is  born  of 
tlie  flesh  is  flesh,"  and  whilst  men  remain  "  in  the 
flesh  they  cannot  please  God,"  or  bring  forth  '*  the 
fruits  of  the  Spirit."  We  must  be  born  again; 
born  of  the  Spirit,  and  then  we  "shall  not  fulfil 
the  lusts  of  the  flesh."  Until  we  become  sound  in 
the  faith; — until  we  believe  in  Christ  for  the  sal- 
vation of  the  soul ; — until  we  are  united  to  him  by 
faith,  as  the  branch  is  to  the  vine,  we  cannot  bring 
forth  the  fruits  of  holiness;  but  if  we  "abide  in 
him,  and  his  words  of  truth  abide  in  us,  we  shall 
not  be  barren  or  unfruitful,"  even  in  old  age ;  but 
learn  from  Christ  that  soberness,  that  seriousness, 
that  moderation  in  all  worldly  enjoyments,  which 
will  prove  that  we  are  "  created  in  Christ  Jesus 
unto  good  works."  Aged  men,  therefore,  must  be 
steadfast  in  their  belief,  and  in  their  profession  of 
the  faith  ;  and  not  be  turned  aside  to  novelties  and 
fancies,  nor  be  turned  back  by  persecution,  should 
it  arise,  but  contend  earnestly  for  the  faith  once 
delivered  to  the  saints,  and  transmit  the  same,  un- 
adulterated, to  the  next  generation. 

5.  Charity  is  another  grace  which  well  becomes 
the  aged  believer.  We  understand  by  it,  not  merely 
alms-giving,  though  that  is  one  excellent  and  useful 
branch  of  charity ;  but  it  signifies  christian  love. 
Love  to  God,  the  God  of  love  ;  and  love  to  all  the 
family  of  man,  but  especially  to  the  household  of 
faith.  This  grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  imparted  to 
all  real  Christians,  is  the  greatest  of  all.  St.  Paul, 
giving  us  the  essentials  of  true  religion,  says,  "  Now 


6  ,  serm'ons  to  J'he  aged.  [68 

abideth  faith,  hope,  and  charity,  these  three ;  but 
the  greyest  of  these  is  charity."  God,  the  great,  the 
holy,  and  the  just,  who  might  justly  have  punished 
sinners  with  everlasting  destruction,  has,  out  of  his 
own  infinite  goodness  and  mercy,  devised  means  for 
their  salvation  ;  has  given  his  dear  and  only  be- 
gotten Son  to  be  a  Savior — a  Savior  of  sinners, 
by  dying  for  sinners,  "  the  just  for  the  unjust,  to 
bring  us  to  God."  He  has  declared  himself  to  be 
reconciled  to  sinners  hereby ;  and  he  sends  his 
messengers  to  beseech  us  to  be  reconciled  to  him, 
promising  to  receive  and  pardon,  and  bless  for  ever, 
all  who  come  to  him  by  Jesus  Christ.  Oh  how 
amiable  does  God  in  Christ  appear  !  How  worthy  to 
be  loved  and  adored !  And  how  ready  should  we  be 
to  prove  our  love  to  him.  And  as  we  cannot  confer 
any  benefit  upon  the  glorious  God  himself — as  *'  our 
goodness  cannot  extend  to  him,"  let  it  be  directed 
to  "  the  saints,  the  excellent  of  the  earth ;"  whom 
he  has  appointed  his  representatives  here  below; 
for  the  love  and  kindness  we  show  to  them,  he  puts 
to  his  own  account ;  and  in  the  judgment  of  the 
great  day  he  will  say  to  all  who  exercise  this  chris- 
tian grace  toward  the  members  of  his  church, 
"  Inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  unto  the  least  of  these  my 
brethren,  ye  did  it  unto  me.  Come,  ye  blessed  of 
my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world." 

6.  Patience  is,  in  the  last  place,  enforced  upon 
the  aged ;  and  it  is  well  known  that  the  numerous 
pains  and  troubles  of  the  aged  call  for  the  exercise 


69]  THE  DUTIES  OF  THE  AGED.  9 

of  this  grace.  Corrupt  nature  is  apt  to  fret  and  mur- 
mur when  afflictions  are  heavy,  and  numerous,  and 
long-continued ;  but  a  Christian  will  resist  tempta- 
tions to  impatience,  by  recollecting  the  numberless 
mercies  he  has  enjoyed  in^ youth  and  middle  life;  by 
reflecting  on  his  own  sinful  conduct  toward  God  ; 
and  above  all,  by  considering  the  gracious  design  of 
his  heavenly  Father  in  these  corrections.  They  are 
the  tokens  of  paternal  love,  intended  to  purge  away 
the  dross  of  corruption ;  to  wean  the  heart  from  the 
creature,  and  to  direct  the  affections  to  things  above, 
toward  which  the  aged  Christian  is  advancing  every 
day.  If,  then,  he  believes  that  "  all  things  work  to- 
gether for  good  to  those  who  love  God,  and  who  are 
called  according  to  his  purpose,"  he  will  be  recon- 
ciled to  the  rod,  and  bless  the  hand  that  chastises. 

Immediately  after  the  text  the  apostle  directs 
Titus  how  to  instruct  the  aged  women.  He  was  to 
exhort  them  to  such  a  "  behavior  as  becometh  holi- 
ness." Their  temper  and  conduct  should  accord  with 
their  profession  of  the  holy  Gospel.  They  must  "not 
be  false  accusers,"  they  must  not  be  slanderers,  or 
backbiters,  sowing  discord  by  tattling  and  speaking 
evil,  which  is  too  common  a  fault ;  and  one  which 
some  aged  persons  are  very  apt  to  commit.  They 
must  "  not  be  given  to  much  wine,"  or  strong  drink  ; 
to  this  vice  some  may  be  tempted  by  the  lowness  of 
their  spirits,  and  growing  weakness ;  but  such  a  re- 
medy is  worse  than  the  disease ;  it  is  criminal  in  all, 
but  shocking  and  shameful  in  aged  women.   On  the 


10  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [70 

contrary,  they  are  "  to  teach,"  as  well  as  practise, 
"  good  thmgs ;"  not  to  teach  publicly,  that  is  for- 
bidden, (1  Cor.  14 :  34,)  but  they  should  instruct  the 
young  women  in  their  proper  duties,  (verses  4,  5.) 
No  persons  are  such  proper  teachers  of  the  younger 
females,  as  wise  and  virtuous  matrons,  who  may 
be  very  useful  in  that  department,  and  they  should 
diligently  attend  to  it. 


CONCLUSION. 

The  holy  apostle  has  set  before  us,  in  this  text,  a 
lovely  picture  of  a  good  old  man.  Here  we  see  what 
an  aged  person  ought  to  be,  and  what  some,  by  the 
grace  of  God,  actually  are.  But,  reader,  how  is  it 
with  you  ?  Are  you  sober  and  watchful,  grave,  tem- 
perate, sound  in  faith,  in  charity,  in  patience  ?  If  it 
be  so,  God  be  thanked.  Give  him  the  praise ;  "be 
sober,  and  hope  to  the  end." 

But  what  a  horrid  spectacle  do  we  sometimes 
behold ! — an  aged  man  tottering  on  the  edge  of  the 
grave ;  not  sober  and  watchful,  but  careless  and  un- 
concerned about  his  soul ;  not  grave  arid  serious,  but 
vain  and  trifling,  light  and  foolish ;  not  temperate, 
but  fond  of  indulgence,  making  his  belly  his  god, 
and  sometimes  intoxicated  and  degraded  to  a  level 
with  the  beasts ;  not  sound  in  the  faith,  but  destitute 
of  the  knowledge  of  the  Gospel,  and  contentedly  ig- 
norant of  Christ ;  not  abounding  in  love  to  God  and 
man,  but  under  the  power  of  a  carnal  mind,  which 


71]  THE    DUTIES    OF   THE   AGED.  H 

is  enmity  against  God ;  and  toward  man  selfish,  co- 
vetous, angry,  and  morose;  not  patient  in  afflic- 
tion, but  murmuring  at  his  lot,  and  unwilling  to 
bear  the  rod. 

Oh  unhappy  man!  to  what  little  purpose  hqist 
thou  lived  so  long !  What  deep  repentance  becomes 
thee!  "Awake,  awake,  thou  that  sleepest,  arise  from 
the  dead,  and  Christ  shall  give  thee  light."  Cry,  cry 
aloud,  cry  immediately  to  God.  Say,  *'  Save,  Lord, 
or  I  perish  !  God  be  merciful  to  me  a  sinner  !"  And 
O  that  he  who  listened  to  the  cry  of  the  penitent 
malefactor  on  the  cross,  may  hear  thy  prayer,  for- 
give thy  sin,  renew  thy  heart,  and  save  thee  with  an 
everlasting  salvation. 


PRAYER. 

Blessed  God !  thou  hast  said,  "  Be  ye  holy,  for  I 
am  holy."  The  holy  temper  and  conduct  which  have 
now  been  recommended  to  me,  are  highly  becoming 
in  all  who  are  called  Christians,  and  are  peculiarly 
necessary  and  beautiful  in  the  aged.  O  God,  give 
me,  I  beseech  thee,  thy  Holy  Spirit ;  that  being  re- 
newed in  the  spirit  of  my  mind,  I  may  be  truly  vigi- 
lant, sei'ious,  temperate,  and  sound  in  the  faith ;  full 
of  love  to  God  and  man,  and  patient  under  all  the 
infirmities  and  afflictions  of  age. 

If  I  have  hitherto  been  a  stranger  to  true  reli- 
gion, and  have  lived  until  now  without  God,  without 
Christ,  and  without  hope  in  the  world;   O  have 


12  SERMONS    TO    THE  AGED.  [72 

mercy  upon  me,  and  suffer  me  not  to  die  in  this 
state,  for  then  I  should  perish  for  ever ;  but  hear  my 
cry,  O  God !  and  extend  thine  arm  of  mercy ;  pluck 
me  quickly  as  a  brand  from  the  fire  ;  wash  me  from 
all  my  sins  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb ;  and  by  thy 
almighty  grace  make  me  a  new  creature,  prepared 
for  death  and  heaven. 


HYMN. 

Are  we  not  sons  and  heirs  of  God  ? 
Are  we  not  bought  with  Jesus'  blood  ? 
Do  we  not  hope  for  heavenly  joys  ? 
And  shall  \ye  stoop  to  trifling  toys  ''. 

Doth  vain  discourse  or  empty  mirth 
Well  suit  the  honors  of  our  birth  ? 
Shall  we  be  fond  of  gay  attire. 
Which  children  love,  and  fools  admire  ? 

Can  meats,  or  choicest  wines  procure 
Delights  that  ever  shall  endure  ^ 
Shall  my  best  powers  be  thus  debas'd, 
And  part  with  heaven  to  please  my  taste  ? 

Great  God,  new  mould  my  sensual  mind, 
And  let  my  joys  be  more  refined ; 
Raise  me  to  dwell  among  the  blest, 
And  fit  me  for  thy  heavenly  feast. 

PUBLISHED    BY    THE    AMERICA>^    TRACT    SOCIETY. 


SBILMONS  TO  TBB  AOB]>....3NrO.  7. 


DOUBTS  AND  FEARS  REPROVED. 


Why  sayest  thou.,  O  Jacoh,  and  spedkest,  O  Israel^  My 
way  is  hid  from  the  Lord,  and  my  judgment  is 
passed  over  from  my  God  ?  Hast  thou  not  knowni^ 
hast  thou  not  heard,  that  the  everlasting  God,  the 
Lord,  the  Creator  of  the  ends  of  the  earth,  fainteth 
not,  neither  is  loeary  ?  there  is  no  searching  of  his 
tinder  standing.  He  giveth  poiver  to  the  faint ;  and 
to  thein  that  have  no  might  he  i?icreaseth  strength. 
Even  the  youths  shall  faint  and  he  weary,  and  the 
young  men  shall  utterly  fall:  hut  they  that  wait 
upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength ;  they  shall 
mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles  ;  they  shall  run,  and 
not  he  weary  ;  and  they  shall  walk,  and  not  faint,— - 
Isaiah,  40 :  27—31. 

It  is  probable  that  these  words  were  originally 
intended  for  the  encouragement  of  the  captive  Jews? 
in  Babylon,  some  of  whom  might  be  tempted  to 
distrust  the  power  and  promise  of  God  for  their 
restoration  ;  but  they  are  certainly  applicable  to  all 
weak  believers,  in  every  period  of  life ;  and  particu- 
larly to  aged  christians,  who  are  often  feeble  in  mind 
as  well  as  in  body:  who  arc  frequently  in  a  low 


%  SERMONS   TO    THE    AGED.  [74 

frame,  and  tempted  to  fear  and  despondency.  These 
words  very  fully  express  the  doubts  and  fears  of  such 
persons,  and  are  admirably  adapted  to  check  and 
remove  them.  May  the  good  spirit  of  God  accom- 
pany what  shall  be  offered  from  this  text  with  his 
special  blessing,  for  that  happy  purpose.  The  words 
contain  three  things  : — 

I.  An  unworthy  suspicion ; 

II.  A  kind  expostulation  ;  and 

III.  A  gracious  promise. 

I.  Let  us  first  examine  the  unvxyrthy  smpidati 
entertained  by  the  weak  believer.  "  My  way  is  hid 
from  the  Lord — my  judgment  is  passed  over  from 
my  God ; — as  if  he  had  said — He  takes  no  notice  of 
my  sorrowful  condition ;  or,  if  he  sees,  he  does  not 
regard  it,  or  interpose  for  my  relief.  Thus  Job,  iu 
the  agony  of  his  spirit,  improperly  said,  "  God  hath 
taken  away  my  judgment,"  that  is,  refused  to  do 
him  justice,  or  to  defend  him  from  the  cruel  censures 
of  his  friends.  The  Psalmist  intimates  similar  sus- 
picions, "  Will  the  Lord  cast  off  for  ever  ?  Will  he 
be  favorable  no  more  ?  Is  his  mercy  clean  gone  for 
ever  ?  Doth  his  promise  fail  for  evermore  f  Hath 
God  forgotten  to  be  gracious  f  Hath  he  in  anger  shut 
up  his  tender  mercies  ?"  Psalm  77 :  7,  &c.  But  he 
checks  himself  for  such  sad  apprehensions,  and 
therefore  adds,  "  I  said,  This  is  my  infirmity."  So 
it  was,  as  we  shall  presently  see.  A  similar  com- 
plaint we  find  in  Isaiah,  49:  14,15:  "  Zion  said. 
ijie  Lord  hath  forsaken  me,  and  my  Lord  hath 


75j  DOUBTS    AND   FEARS    REPROVED.  ^ 

forgotten  me  ;  and  this  is  immediately  reproved  by 
the  following  words,    "  Can  a  woman   forget  her 
sucking  child,  that  she  should  not  have  compassion 
on  the  son  of  her  womb  ?"  This,  indeed,  is  by  no 
means  a  common  case ;  yet  it  is  possible,   *'  they 
may  forget ;"  but  the  Lord  cannot — will  not  forget 
his  people ;  for  he  says,  "  I  have  graven  thee  on  the 
palms   of  my   hands,'*  alluding  to  the    custom    ot' 
making  artificial  and  durable  marks  on  the  hand£. 
as  memorandums  of  things  to  be  remembered.    W( 
find  even  David,  who  was  usually  strong  in  faith, 
saying,  "I  shall   one    day  perish   by  the  hand  of 
Saul ;"  though  God  had  given  him  a  sure  promise 
of   the   throne   which    Saul   then   occupied.     Yea, 
Abraham  himself,  the  strongest  of  all  strong  be- 
lievers, seemed  to  despair  of  the  fulfilment  of  the 
promise,  when  he  took  Hagar ;  and  when  he  had 
recourse   also    to    misrepresentation    for  the   pro- 
tection of  Sarah  his  wife. 

When  a  Christian  is  severely  afflicted — has  a 
body  perhaps  grievously  diseased— -has  acute  and 
constant  pain — lingering  disorders  preying  on  his 
vitals,  destroying  appetite,  depriving  him  of  sleep : 
when  he  can  get  no  relief  from  medicines  or  ope- 
rations, and  all  things  unite  to  depress  his  spirits, 
he  may  be  tempted  to  think  his  case  very  hard  and 
very  singular,  and  to  fear  that  God  has  forgotten  or 
forsaken  him. 

Others,  it  may  be,  have  suffered  great  losses  in 
trade,  by  bad  debts,  or  the  failure  of  business,  or  the 
death  of  employers  or  friends ;  by  fire,  by  robbery, 


4  SERMONS   TO   THE  AGED.  [76 

by  treachery,  or  other  causes;  and  been  thus  re- 
duced, as  it  has  often  happened,  to  a  state  of  abso- 
lute poverty,  dependance,  and  want.  Such  a  con- 
dition is  inexpressibly  trying,  and  without  divine 
support,  the  afflicted  man,  surrounded,  it  may  be, 
by  a  distressed  and  destitute  family,  is  ready  to  sink 
into  despair.  It  is  well  if  he  be  not  tempted  to  say, 
-'  My  way  is  hid  from  the  Lord.  My  God  hath,  I 
fear,  forgotten  me.*' 

There  are  many  other  cases  of  deep  affliction. 
Much  suffering  is  sometimes  occasioned  by  the  un- 
kindness,  the  idleness,  the  extravagance,  the  drunk- 
enness, of  a  dissolute  husband ;  and  the  oppressed 
v/ife  pines  away  in  sorrow  and  penury.  Or  chil- 
dren, who  ought  to  be  the  props  of  aged  parents,  are 
undutiful,  ungodly,  rebellious,  and  injurious.  Or, 
the  sinking  and  afflicted  man  may  be  a  backslider. 
Once  he  took  pleasure  in  religion,  and  perhaps 
prospered  in  the  world  ;  but  a  sad  reverse  has  taken 
place ;  his  backslidings  severely  reprove  him ;  and 
conscious  of  having  forsaken  God,  he  is  afraid  that 
God  has  forsaken  him  for  ever. 

But  it  is  impossible  to  describe  all  the  varied  forms 
of  human  wo.  "  The  heart  knoweth  its  own  bitter- 
ness," and  every  reader  knows  "  his  own  plague, 
and  his  own  sore."  Innumerable  are  the  occasions 
of  lamentation  and  wo,  in  this  vale  of  tears,  which 
too  often  cause  even  the  children  of  God  to  go 
mourning  all  their  days.  "  But  is  there  no  balm  in 
Gilead  ?  is  there  no  physician  there  ?"  Blessed  be 
God,  there  is  a  remedy,  and  the  Christian  has,  at  the 
»VQrst  of  tim^s,  cause  to  say, 


771  DOUBTS   AND   FEARS   REPROVED.  5. 

Salvation !  O  the  joyful  sound, 

'Tis  pleasure  to  our  ears ; 
A  sovereign  balm  for  every  wound ^ 

A  cordial  for  our  fears. 

And  this  will  appear  by  considering  the  two  follow- 
ins:  heads  of  our  discourse. 

II.  In  the  next  place  we  observe  the  kind  expos- 
tulation contained  in  our  text;  which  refers  the 
afflicted  believer  to  the  greatness,  the  power,  the 
wisdom,  and  the  goodness  of  God. 

"  Why  sayest  thou  ?"  Why  speakest  thou  as  thou 
hast  done  ?  Observe  ;  it  is  always  proper  to  inquire 
into  the  causes  and  reasons  both  of  our  hopes  and 
our  fears.  We  ought  to  be  able  "  to  give  a  reason  oi 
the  hope  that  is  in  us;'*  and  we  ought  also  to  be  able 
to  give  a  reason  for  our  fears.  The  question  is  asked. 
Why,  Jacob,  do  you  say,  *'  My  way  is  hid  from  the 
Lord  r"  &c.  Have  you  forgotten  what  you  have 
heard,  and  known,  and  acknowledged,  that  the  God 
whom  you  worship  is  infinitely  great ;  Jehovah,  the 
eternal,  unchangeable,  self-existent  God ;  the  Crea- 
tor of  all  worlds,  and  of  the  matter  of  which  they 
were  formed  ?  We  say  to  our  children,  *'  Remember 
thy  Creator  in  the  days  of  thy  youth ;"  and  may  we 
not  say  to  the  old,  Remember  thy  Creator  in  the 
days  of  thy  age  ?  And  will  he  not  have  respect  to 
"  the  work  of  his  own  hands?"  Say,  then,  "Where 
is  my  Maker,  who  givieth  songs  in  the  night  ?"  in  the 
night  of  age,  in  the  night  of  affliction  ?  Thus  God 


•5  SERMONS   TO   THE  AGEI>*  [78 

expostulated  with  Israel  of  old,  (Isaiah,  51 :  12,  13,) 
"  I,  even  I,  am  he  that  comforteth  you.  Who  art 
thou,  that  thou  shouldest  be  afraid  of  a  man  that 
shall  die,  and  of  the  son  of  man  who  shall  be  made 
as  grass,  and  forgettest  the  Lord  thy  Maker,  that 
stretched  out  the  heavens  and  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  earth  ?" 

Consider  his  power.  Is  he  not  almighty'?  What 
said  God  to  Abraham,  when  he  called  him  ?  "I  am 
the  Almighty  God,  walk  before  me,  and  be  thou 
perfect ;"  and  when  Sarah,  his  wife,  had  expressed 
her  doubt  of  the  promised  blessing,  how  was  that 
doubt  repelled  ?  "Is  any  thing  too  hard  for  the 
Lord  ?  the  Father  Almighty,  the  Maker  of  heaven 
and  earth."  What  cannot  He  do  ?  "  Blessed  are  all 
they  who  trust  in  him." 

Consider  also  his  wisdom — his  infinite  wisdom. 
Our  text  says,  "  There  is  no  searching  of  his  under- 
standing." All  his  works  display  a  wisdom,  a  design, 
a  contrivance  that  fills  us  with  astonishment ;  and 
we  are  forced  to  exclaim,  "  In  wisdom  hast  thou 
made  them  all!"  And  it  shines  especially  in  the 
work  of  redemption  by  Jesus  Christ.  Here,  indeed, 
is  "  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God."  Nor  is  his  wisdom 
less  displayed  in  the  deahngs  of  his  providence  with 
his  people.  It  may,  at  times,  be  obscured.  His  "way 
may  be  (trackless)  in  the  sea,  and  his  path  in  the 
great  waters."  "  Clouds  and  darkness  may  be  round 
about  him,"  but  all  his  ways  are  wise  and  goodj 
and  "  he  knoweth  how  to  deliver  the  godly  out  of 
temptation."  r  When  the  Israelites  were  persued  by 


79]  DOUBTS   AND   PEARS   REPEOVED.  7 

Pharaoh  there  seemed  to  be  no  way  of  escape  ;  but 
God  made  a  path  for  them  through  the  sea.  When 
EUjah  was  in  apparent  danger  of  starvation,  God 
sent  ravens  twice  a  day  to  feed  him.  God  can  never 
be  at  a  loss  to  sustain  or  to  deUver  his  people. 

Once  more — consider  his  goodness.  "The  earth 
is  full  of  the  goodness  of  the  Lord ;"  it  extends  to 
every  creature ;  but  the  afflicted  are  the  special  ob- 
jects of  it.  **  He  giveth  power  to  the  faint,"  to  those 
who  through  weakness  are  ready  to  faint  away,  and 
give  up  all  for  lost ;  his  gracious  power  supports 
them;  and  to  those  "who  have  no  might"  of  their 
own,  he  not  only  gives,  but  "  increaseth  strength." 
Our  sense  of  weakness  prepares  us  for  receiving 
help,  so  that,  like  St.  Paul,  we  may  say,  "When  we 
are  weak,  then  are  we  strong ;  strong  in  the  Lord, 
and  in  the  power  of  his  might ;  strengthened  with 
might  by  his  Spirit  in  the  inner  man."  Yes,  God  is 
good.  "  Truly  God  is  good  to  Israel ;  the  goodness 
of  God  endureth  continually."  And  this  will  appear 
still  more  fully  when  we  notice — 

III.  The  gracious  promise  in  our  text.  "  They 
that  wait  upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength,'^ 
&c.  Here  is  a  duty  to  be  performed,  and  a  blessing 
to  be  received. 

"Waiting  upon  God"  includes  his  worship;  and 
he  has  pronounced  a  blessing  on  spiritual  worship- 
pers :  "  Blessed  is  the  man  that  heareth  me,  watch- 
ing daily  at  my  gates,  waiting  at  the  posts  of  my 
doors."  Those  who  seek  the  favors  of  the  great,  dili- 


8  SERMONS   TO  THE  AGED*  [80 

gently  repair  to  their  palaces  or  mansions ;  how  much 
more  diligent  should  we  be  in  attending  the  palace 
of  the  Great  King,  the  King  of  Zion,  who  daily 
gives  audience  to  his  people,  and  "waits  to  be  gra- 
cious" to  all  who  wait  upon  him.  David,  though  a 
king  himself,  preferred  a  day  in  God's  courts  to  a 
thousand  otl\er  days ;  and  declared  that  the  chief 
thing  he  desired  was  to  "  dwell  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord  all  the  days  of  his  life."  The  poor  cripple  who 
waited  thirty-eight  years  at  the  pool  of  Bethesda, 
was  well  rewarded  at  last,  by  receiving  from  Christ 
immediate  strength,  so  as  to  take  up  his  bed  and 
walk :  believers  who  wait  upon  God  in  the  ways  of 
his  appointment  may  expect  a  greater  cure,  and 
strength  far  more  valuable. 

Waiting  upon  the  Lord  signifies,  more  particu- 
larly, application  to  him  for  help,  which  is  to  be 
done  by  fervent  prayer ;  expectation  of  that  help  in 
answer  to  prayer ;  and  patient  waiting  till  he  shall 
be  pleased  to  bestow  it.  Vain  is  the  help  of  man. 
Let  not  the  afflicted  lift  up  his  eyes  to  the  hills,  as 
the  heathen  to  the  temples  of  their  idols  erected  on 
the  hills,  but  say,  with  the  Psalmist,  "  My  help  cometh 
from  the  Lord,  who  made  heaven  and  earth."  He 
alone  is  "  the  help  and  the  shield"  of  his  people. 
"  Happy,  therefore,  is  he  that  hath  the  God  of  Jacob 
for  his  help,  whose  hope  is  in  the  Lord  his  God." 

Waiting  implies  expectation :  he  who  does  not 
hope  will  not  wait;  but  "faith  accepts  God's  bond, 
and  patience  waits  for  the  payment."  God  is  faithful, 
who  hath  promised;  and  if  we  judge  him  so  to  be.  Vv  e 


SI]  DOUBTS  AND  FEARS  REPROVED.  9 

shall  wait  his  time  for  the  fulfilment  of  the  promise 
and  plead,  as  the  Psalmist  did,  "Remember  the 
word  unto  thy  servant,  on  which  thou  hast  caused 
me  to  hope  ;"  and  we  may  add,  as  he  did,  "  This  is 
my  comfort  in  my  affliction,  for  thy  word  hath 
quickened  me."     Psalm  119:  49,  50. 

The  blessing  promised  is  elevation  of  soul,  vigor, 
and  perseverance.  "  They  shall  mount  with  wings 
as  eagles."  The  eagle  is  a  strong  bird,  and  flies 
high.  So  believers  arise  above  earthly  things;  they 
feel  holy  desires  and  heavenly  affections ;  and  being 
"  risen  with  Christ,  seek  the  things  that  are  above, 
where  he  is."  The  spiritual  strength  which  God 
bestows,  enables  them  to  run  with  alacrity  the  race 
which  is  set  before  them,  without  becoming  weary 
of  the  ways  of  God,  and  to  walk  straight  forward, 
day  after  day,  in  the  paths  ofiioliness  and  righteous- 
ness, without  fainting. 

All  this  they  owe  to  strength  communicated  from 
the  fulness  of  Christ.  Without  him  they  could  do 
nothing.  Without  him  "  the  youths  shall  faint  and 
be  weary,  and  the  young  men  shall  utterly  fail :"  the 
most  promising  professors,  left  to  themselves,  and 
trusting  in  their  own  strength,  shall  become  weary  of 
religion,  and  follow  the  ways  of  God  no  more  ;  but, 
strengthened  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  the  inner  man, 
even  the  aged  Christian, whose  outward  man  is  much 
decayed,  and  who  is  bowed  down  with  infirmities, 
shall  still  press  forward,  and  be  kept,  by  the  power  of 
God,  through  faith,  unto  salvation. 


10  SERMONS   TO   THE  AGED.  [8;7 

IMPROVEMENT. 

This  discourse,  probably,  is  not  applicable  to  every 
reader.  The  design  of  it  is  to  remove  the  doubts 
and  fears  of  the  timid  of  the  flock ;  but  some,  per- 
haps, never  had  any  doubts  and  fears  about  their 
salvation.  They  have  scarcely  thought  themselves 
sinners,  or,  at  most,  not  very  great  sinners — not 
worse  than  others ;  and  that,  as  God  is  merciful, 
they  hope  to  be  saved  as  well  as  others.  It  would 
be  happy  for  such  persons  if  they  had  doubts  and 
fears  ;  for  they  have  great  reason  to  fear,  who  never 
saw  the  evil,  nor  felt  the  burden  of  sin,  nor  dreaded 
its  consequences ;  and  who,  of  course,  never  seri- 
ously asked,  "  What  must  we  do  to  be  saved  ?" — 
never  prayed  in  good  earnest  for  pardoning  mercy ; 
never  fled  with  fear  and  trembling  to  the  hope  set 
before  them  in  the  gospel.  O  that  such,  if  such 
should  read  or  hear  this  discourse,  may  be  made 
sensible  of  their  sin  and  danger,  and  betake  them- 
selves  to  prayer  for  the  forgiveness  of  their  sins,  for 
an  interest  in  the  merits  of  the  Savior,  and  for  the 
grace  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  enable  them  to  enter 
the  ways  we  have  been  speaking  of,  which  lead  to 
eternal  life. 

But  the  subject  is  full  of  encouragement  to  be- 
lievers, even  to  weak  believers,  to  those  who  struggle 
with  many  painful  doubts  and  distressing  fears.  O 
see  how  unworthy  are  those  suspicions  you  have 
entertained  of  the  blessed  God !  Carefully  observe 
how  he  condescends  to  expostulate  with  you  on 


83]  DOUBTS    AND    FEABS    REPROVED.  11 

account  of  them ;  and  what  a  gracious  promise  he 
gives  you  of  strengthening  grace.  Why,  then»  with 
all  this  provision  of  mercy,  why  are  you  cast  down  ? 
"  Hope  in  God,  and  you  shall  yet  praise  him."  He 
bids  you  wait  on  him.  Wait  on  him  daily  in  private ; 
and  frequently,  if  you  are  able,  in  public.  Wait  on 
him  diligently,  and  wait  his  leisure.  "  The  vision 
may  yet  be  for  an  appointed  time,  but  at  the  end  it 
shall  speak,  and  shall  not  lie ;  though  it  tarry,  wait 
for  it ;  because  it  will  surely  come,  it  will  not  tarry." 


PRAYER. 

O  Thou,  who  art  infinite  in  goodness,  full  of 
compassion,  and  ready  to  forgive.  Thou  art  un- 
changeable, and  having  loved  thine  own  who  are  in 
the  world,  thou  lovest  them  to  the  end.  I  blush  and 
am  ashamed  of  myself;  ashamed  of  having  ever 
entertained  one  hard  thought  of  thee.  I  am  ashamed 
of  having  imagined  that  ray  way  was  hid  from  thee, 
or  my  judgment  passed  over  by  thee.  Forgive,  O 
Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  these  unbelieving,  these  inju- 
rious suspicions.  And  enable  me  ever  to  remember 
that  thou,  the  everlasting  God,  the  Creator  of  the 
ends  of  the  earth,  art  never  faint  or  weary — that 
thy  power,  thy  wisdom,  thy  goodness,  are  always  the 
same.  May  I  ever  look  to  thee  for  strength  ;  then 
shall  I  go  on  my  way  rejoicing;  I  shall  mount  up 
with  wings  as  an  eagle ;  I  shall  run  without  weari- 
.ness ;  and  walk  without  fainting,  ^o  be  it,  blessed 
Lord,  for  the  Redeemer's  sake.     Amen. 


12  SERMONS  TO    THE  AGED.  [84 

HYMN. 

When  darkness  long  has  veil'd  my  mind, 
And  smiling  day  once  more  appears, 

Then,  my  Redeemer,  then  I  find 
The  folly  of  my  doubts  and  fears. 

Straight,  I  upraid  my  wandering  heart, 

And  blush  that  I  should  ever  be 
Thus  prone  to  act  so  base  a  part, 

Or  harbor  one  hard  thought  of  thee. 

0  let  me  then,  at  length,  be  taught 
What  I  am  still  so  slow  to  learn, 

That  God  is  love,  and  changeth  not, 
Nor  knows  the  shadow  of  a  turn. 

Sweet  truth  '  and  easy  to  repeat ! 
But  when  my  faith  is  sharply  tried, 

1  find  myself  a  learner  yet. 

Unskilful,  weak,  and  apt  to  slide. 

But,  O  my  Lord,  one  look  from  thee 

Subdues  my  disobedient  will ; 
Drives  doubt  and  discontent  away, 

And  thy  rebellious  worm  is  still. 

Thou  art  as  ready  to  forgive 

As  I  am  ready  to  repine  ; 
Thou,  therefore,  all  the  praise  receive ; 

Be  shame  and  self-abhorrence  mine. 

PUBLISHED   BY   THE   AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIEXr.       * 


sxaRXMEonrs  to  tbb  AaBD....sro.  8. 


THE  VANITY  OF  THE  WORLD, 


Vanity  of  vanities,   saith   the   Preacher;  vanity  of 
vanities;  all  is  vanity, — Eccles.  1:2. 

Augustus  Caesar  called  the  attention  of  his 
soldiers  to  what  he  was  about  to  deliver,  by  saying, 
"Young  men!  hearken  to  me,  an  old  man,  to  whom 
old  men  hearkened  when  I  was  young."  The  words 
now  read  demand  attention,  not  only  because  they 
were  spoken  by  an  old  man,  but  because  they  were 
spoken  by  a  great  man ;  Solomon,  king  of  Jeru- 
salem, a  wise  man,  even  the  wisest  of  all  men;  and, 
what  is  more,  by  an  inspired  man  of  God,  inspired 
to  preach  by  this  book  a  sermon  on  the  vanity  of  the 
world ;  a  sermon  dictated  by  his  own  experience,  for 
he  had  tried  in  every  possible  way  what  the  world 
could  do  for  him,  and  he  solemnly  pronounces  all 
to  be  vanity.  After  having  proved  the  truth  of  this 
assertion,  he  directs  us  to  that  which  is  not  vain,  but 
solid,  durable,  and  of  everlasting  importance — the 
fear  of  God,  or  true  religion;  the  world  he  declares 
to  be  nothing  but  vanity,  but  religion  he  asserts  to 
be  "the  whole  duty"  or  rather  the  ^^  whole  of  man," 


2  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [86 

the  chief  concern,  the  true  interest,  and  the  complete 
happiness  of  man. 

This  book  was  the  production  of  his  old  age,  when 
he  had  recovered  from  that  partial  apostacy  into 
which  he  had  been  betrayed  by  his  idolatrous  wives. 
It  is  the  result  of  the  most  serious  reflection,  and  of 
deep  repentance.  It  deserves  the  close  attention  of 
the  young ;  and  is  peculiarly  fitted  for  the  study  of  the 
aged,  whose  long  experience,  and  careful  observa- 
tion of  the  world,  will  fully  confirm  all  that  Solomon 
has  advanced. 

In  discoursing  on  this  text  we  shall, 

I.  Explain  and  confirm  Solomon's  assertion;  and? 

II.  Point  out  the  practical  improvement  of  it. 

I.  It  will  be  proper  to  explain  the  assertion ;  and 
we  must  observe  that  it  must  be  understood  with 
some  limitation.  When  Solomon  asserts  that  all 
is  vanity,  he  means  that  all  worldly  pursuits,  pos- 
sessions, and  enjoyments,  are  vain,  if  taken  apart 
from  God,  and  the  fear  of  God,  or  true  religion.  He 
could  not  mean  that  all  the  creatures  of  God  are 
vanity;  for  when  God  made  them  he  pronounced 
them  all  to  be  good.  When  we  behold  the  sun,  and 
the  moon,  and  the  stars ;  when  we  see  a  fine  pros- 
pect, or  observe  the  beasts,  the  birds,  the  fishes,  the 
insects,  in  their  various  and  beautiful  forms ;  or  con- 
sider the  wonderful  provision  God  has  made  for  the 
food,  raiment,  and  comfort  of  man ;  or  reflect  upon 
the  numerous  blessings  of  social  life,  we  must  admit 
that  there  remains,  notwithstanding  the  fall  of  man., 


87]  THE    VANITY    OP    THE    WORLD  8 

and  the  prevalence  of  sin  and  evil  in  the  world, 
much  of  good,  for  which  man  should  be  thankful, 
and  should  glorify  his  Maker. 

Yet  is  the  assertion  of  Solomon  m  the  text  per- 
fectly true.  Man  has,  by  the  fall,  departed  from 
God;  he  has  forsaken  the  fountain  of  living  waters, 
and  hewn  out  for  himself  cisterns  which  can  hold  no 
water.  He  has  lost  all  spiritual  life ;  he  lives  a  life 
of  mere  sense,  an  animal  life.  He  seeks  Jiis  happi- 
ness in  the  creature,  forgetting  the  Creator.  His  cry 
is,  *'  Who  will  show  me  any  good  ?"  and  instead  of 
seeking  the  divine  favor,  and  the  light  of  God's 
countenance,  he  says,  "What  shall  I  eat,  what  shall 
I  drink,  wherewithall  shall  I  be  clothed?"  How  shall 
I  get  wealth  f  By  what  amusements  shall  I  kill  time, 
procure  pleasure,  silence  conscience,  and  contrive  to 
*'  live  without  God  in  the  world  ?" 

These  are  the  pursuits  of  the  men  of  the  world, 
whose  portion  is  in  this  life.  But  do  they  succeed  ? 
Do  they  obtain  the  good  they  seek,  and  find  satisfac- 
tion in  their  attainments  ?  O  no.  They  are  sadly  dis- 
appointed. But  they  will  try  again,  try  something 
else.  They  are  again  disappointed ;  and  yet  they  go 
on,  year  after  year,  notwithstanding  disappointment 
after  disappointment,  till  they  are  tired  out ;  and 
happy  is  it  if  they  come  at  last,  by  divine  teaching, 
to  Solomon's  conclusion.  All  is  vanity. 

No  man  ever  tried  what  the  world  could  do  for 
him  with  so  much  advantage  as  Solomon.  Born  a 
prince,  the  favorite  of  his  pious  father  king  David, 
he  had  all  the  advantages  of  the  best  education  ;  he 


4  SERMONS    TO   THE   A6ED«  *  [88 

was  endowed  with  mental  powers  far  above  most 
men ;  he  was  an  ardent  student  in  arts  and  sciences, 
and  he  became  the  greatest  philosopher  of  his  age. 

When  thus  qualified,  he  sought  pleasure  in  archi- 
tecture ;  he  built  splendid  palaces  and  noble  cities ; 
he  planted  beautiful  gardens  and  extensive  orchards; 
he  procured  the  best  singers  and  musicians ;  he  in- 
dulged in  the  pleasures  of  the  table,  and  in  mirth 
and  jollity ;  and  in  these  pursuits  he  met  with  no  hin- 
derance  from  sickness,  or  war,  or  want,  for  he  was 
immensely  rich,  so  that  silver  was  nothing  accounted 
of  in  his  days  ;  "  whatsoever  his  eyes  desired  he 
kept  not  from  them ;  he  withheld  not  his  heart  from 
any  joy." 

And  what  of  all  this  ?  What  was  the  result  ?  Take 
it  in  his  own  words.  "  Then  I  looked  on  all  the  works 
that  my  hands  had  wrought,  and  the  labor  that  I  had 
labored  to  do,  and  behold  !"  what?  "all  was  vanity." 
Was  that  all?  No — he  adds,  "vexation  of  spirit." 

And  now — "  What  shall  the  man  do  that  cometh 
after  the  king  ?"  Can  any  man  now  on  earth  excel 
or  equal  king  Solomon  in  his  worldly  pursuits  f  No. 
All  our  experiments  must  be  made  on  a  much  smaller 
scale ;  but,  on  whatever  scale  they  are  made,  the 
result  must  be  the  same — All  is  vanity. 

Let  us  now  inquire  into  the  reason  of  this.  If  it 
be  true  that  all  is  vanity,  let  us  examine  why  it  is  so. 

There  is  generally  disappointment  in  the  pursuits 
of  the  world.  There  is  dissatisfaction  in  the  pos- 
session. The  best  enjoyments  are  not  lasting  ; — 
and,  what  is  worst  of  all,  instead  of  promoting,  they 


f^]  THE   VANITY   OP  THE  WORLD.  6 

frequently  prevent  and  destroy  our  best,  our  true, 
our  eternal  interests. 

1.  The  vanity  of  the  world  is  seen  in  the  disap- 
pointment of  worldly  pursuits.  Solomon  says,  "  All 
things  are  full  of  labor  ;  man  cannot  utter  it."  It 
is  impossible  to  describe  the  innumerable  ways  in 
which  mankind  employ  themselves.  All  are  active 
and  busy  from  morning  to  night,  but  the  greater 
part  *'  weary  themselves  for  very  vanity."  Few,  com- 
paratively, attain  the  object  of  their  wishes.  "  The 
race  is  not  always  to  the  swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the 
strong."  The  most  prudent  and  promising  efforts 
often  fail.  The  industrious  tradesman,  the  ingenious 
mechanic,  the  intelligent  merchant,  the  laborious 
scholar,  the  sagacious  statesman,  the  courageous 
soldier,  often  fail  of  success  ;  "  they  cannot  perform 
their  enterprise  ;"  they  have  risen  early,  and  sat  up 
late,  and  have  eaten  the  bread  of  carefulness  ;  "  all 
their  days  are  sorrows,  and  their  travail  grief;  yea 
their  heart  taketh  not  rest  in  the  night.  This  also 
is  vanity."     Eccl.  2:  23. 

2.  Worldly  objects  do  not  satisfy  when  they  arc 
attained.  It  was  never  designed  by  our  Creator 
that  they  should.  Their  design  was  to  lead  men  to 
God ;  not  to  be  made  idols  to  supplant  himself. 
They  are  not  calculated  to  feed  and  fill  the  im- 
mortal mind ;  therefore  they  always  fail.  "  The 
eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  filled 
with  hearing."     The  same  may  be  said  of  all  the 


6  SERMONS    TO   THE    AGED,  [90 

senses,  and  their  gratifications.  Hence  the  per- 
petual love  of  change,  always  hoping  that  something 
new  will  prove  more  satisfactory.  Nothing  at  pre- 
sent enjoyed  is  sufiicient ;  wishes  grow  upon  wishes  ; 
something  more,  something  better,  is  still  wanted. 

That  cruel  something,  unpossessed, 
Corrodes  and  poisons  all  the  rest. 

So  we  read  in  Esther,  that  Haman,  the  favorite 
and  prime  minister  of  the  king  of  Persia,  loaded 
with  riches  and  honors,  could  not  be  happy  be7 
cause  Mordecai,  a  Jew,  refused  to  give  him  the 
homage  that  other  courtiers  paid.  He  called  toge- 
ther his  family  and  friends,  and  with  exultation  told 
them  how  highly  the  king  had  promoted  and  distin- 
guished him ;  but  added,  "  All  this  availeth  me 
nothing,  so  long  as  I  see  Mordecai  the  Jew  sitting  at 
the  king's  gate."  This  one  "  dead  fly  in  the  pot  of 
precious  ointment"  spoiled  it  all.  His  proud  heart 
was  full  of  indignation  and  revenge,  so  that  he  could 
take  no  pleasure  in  all  his  dignity.  It  availed  him 
nothing. 

In  like  manner,  Ahab,  the  king  of  Israel,  was 
dissatisfied  with  all  his  worldly  possessions,  merely 
because  Naboth,  his  subject  and  neighbor,  refused 
to  sell  him  his  vineyard,  which  the  king  coveted  for  a 
kitchen  garden.  The  refusal  mortified  his  pride, 
and  spoiled  all  his  comforts ;  "  he  came  to  his 
palace  heavy  and  displeased — laid  himself  down  on 
his  bed — turned  away  his  face,  his  spirit  was  sad — 


91]  THE    VANITY    OP    THE    WORLD.  7 

and  he  ate  no  bread."  1  Kings,  21 :  1,  &c.  Ahab 
had  as  much  of  the  world  as  a  man  could  well 
desire ;  the  land  that  flowed  with  milk  and  honey 
was  at  his  command ;  he  had  all  the  pleasures  of  a 
court,  and  all  the  honors  of  a  throne  ;  yet,  "  all 
thi^  availed  him  nothing ;"  he  must  have  Naboth's 
vineyard,  or  he  could  enjoy  nothing.  All  he  pos- 
sessed was  vanity  and  vexation  of  spirit. 

3.  The  world  cannot  satisfy  even  at  the  best  of 
times ;  but  how  does  its  extreme  vanity  appear  in 
its  utter  insufliciency  to  support  and  comfort  us  at 
the  worst   of  times.     "  Riches  profit  not  in  the  day 
of  wrath  ;"  the  world  can  afford  no  relief  to  a  con- 
science  oppressed   by  guilt.      A   convinced   sinner, 
dreading  the  just  anger  of  a  holy  God,   can  derive 
no  consolation  from  worldly  pleasures  ;  they  forsake' 
him   in  the    time   of  need  ;    and  if  he    knows    not 
Christ,    the    "  brother   born  for   adversity,"   he  is 
miserable  indeed.     In  the  awful  hour  of  death,  es'- 
pecially,  when  heart  and  flesh  are  failing,  and  the 
soul   is  about  to  launch  into  eternity,  and  appear^ 
before  God,  all  the  gold  and  silver  in  the  universe^ 
all  the  splendor  of  an  imperial  court,  all  the  diadems 
that  princes  wear,   would  not  afl^brd  one  gleam  of 
hope,    one   ray    of    comfort.      No. — Death   writes 
vanity  on  all  the  globe. 

Nor  can  the  world,  at  any  time,  promote  the  great 
interest  of  man — immortal  man.  Inordinate  pur- 
suits, and  immoderate  pleasures  hinder,  instead  of 
helping  him  in  his  grand  concern.     "One  thing  is 


8  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [92 

needful,"  said  our  great  Redeemer ;  that  one  thing 
is,  doubtless,  the  care  of  the  soul ;  but  worldly  cares 
and  worldly  pleasures  utterly  exclude  this  care. 
*'  They  that  will  be  rich,"  who  are  resolved,  at  all 
events,  and  by  any  means,  to  rise  in  the  world,  *'fall 
into  a  snare,  and  into  many  foolish  and  hurtful  lusts, 
which  drown  men  in  destruction  and  perdition." 

The  vanities  of  the  world  are  "  lying  vanities  ;" 
they  beguile  and  deceive  by  false  appearances. 
Solomon  assures  us  that  "  Even  in  laughter  the 
heart  is  sorrowful,  and  the  end  of  that  mirth  is  hea- 
viness." Wicked  men  are  not  so  happy  as  they  some-* 
times  seem  to  be ;  a  remarkable  instance  of  this  is 
recorded  in  the  life  of  Colonel  Gardiner,  who,  in  his 
youth,  was  devoted  to  criminal  pleasures.  When 
some  of  his  dissolute  companions  were  compliment- 
ing him  on  his  felicity,  a  dog  happened  to  come  into 
the  room,  when  he  could  not  help  groaning  inwardly, 
and  saying  to  himself,  "  O  that  I  were  that  dog !" 
and  no  doubt  many  sinners  feel  as  completely 
wretched,  even  in  the  moments  of  their  greatest 
gaiety. 

4.  But  that  which  most  of  all  proves  the  utter 
vanity  of  worldly  things — is  that  they  must  all  be 
given  up  at  death.  Sometimes  they  forsake  their 
possessors.  Sometimes  riches  and  their  attend- 
ant pleasures  make  themselves  wdngs  and  fly  away 
and  leave  the  man  of  wealth  and  pleasure  to  a 
destitute  and  miserable  old  age.  But  if  they  do  not 
leave  the  man  of  the  world,  he  must  soon  leave  them. 
*'We  brought  nothing  into  the  world,  audit  is  cer- 


93]  THE   VANITY   OP   THE    WORLD.  9 

tain  we  can  carry  nothing  out."  He  who  heaped  up 
riches,  "  whose  inward  thought  was  that  his  house 
should  continue  for  ever,  and  his  mansion  to  all 
generations ;  when  he  dieth  he  shall  carry  nothing 
away;  his  glory  shall  not  descend  after  him."  Solo- 
mon lays  much  stress  upon  this.  He  makes  the 
worldling  say,  (Eccl.  2 :  18,)  "  I  hated  all  my  labor, 
because  I  should  leave  it  unto  the  man  that  shall  be 
after  me ;  and  who  knoweth  whether  he  shall  be  a 
wise  man  or  a  fool.  This  also  is  vanity,  and  a  great 
evil."  Thus  our  Lord  reproves  the  rich  man  in  the 
parable,  who  looked  forward  to  future  years  of  ease 
and  enjoyment,  "  Thou  fool,  this  night  shall  thy  soul 
be  required  of  thee ;  then  whose  shall  those  things 
be  which  thou  hast  provided  ?"  and  then  he  adds, 
"  So  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure  for  himself,  and 
is  not  rich  toward  God ;"  and  this  naturally  leads 
us,  in  the 

Second  place.  To  point  out  the  practical  improve- 
ment of  this  great  truth,  that  all  is  vanity.  We  have 
sufficiently  proved  it ;  we  have  seen  disappointment 
in  pursuit,  dissatisfaction  in  enjoyment,  insufficiency 
to  help  in  the  time  of  need,  and  the  total  loss  of  all 
by  death ;  and,  perhaps,  there  is  not  a  reader  who 
will  not  join  issue  with  Solomon,  and  say,  "It  is  very 
true,  all  is  vanity."  Indeed,  there  is  no  maxim  in 
the  Bible  more  generally  admitted  than  this ;  but, 
must  we  not  add,  there  is  no  maxim  less  regarded 
in  practice.  Who  acts  upon  this  principle  ^  We 
answer,  only  those  whose  hearts  are  renewed  by 


^0  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [94 

the  Spirit  of  God,  and  possessed  of  the  faith  wHich 
*'  overcomes  the  world."  Assuredly,  that  great  in- 
ward change,  which  is  called  regeneration,  must  take 
place  ere  the  disposition  of  the  mind  and  its  constant 
pursuits  can  be  so  altered  that  spiritual  and  heavenly 
objects  are  habitually  preferred  to  those  of  time  and 
sense;  for  *' they  who  are  after  the  flesh,"  or  who 
remain  in  their  natural  and  carnal  state,  "  mind  the 
things  of  the  flesh ;  but  they  who  are  after  the  Spirit, 
mind  the  things  of  the  Spirit ;"  and  let  the  next 
words  be  solemnly  regarded,  "  for  to  be  carnally 
minded  is  death,  but  to  be  spiritually  minded  is  life 
and  peace."  Rom.  8 : 5,  6.  We  say,  then,  to  the 
reader,  what  our  Lord  said  to  Nicodemus,  "  Marvel 
not  that  I  said  unto  thee,  Ye  must  be  born  again." 
John,  3 : 7. 

The  prevailing  love  of  the  world  is  inconsistent 
with  the  love  of  God ;  if  we  love  the  world  supremely, 
St.  John  declares  that  the  love  of  God  is  not  in  us. 
The  faith  that  worketh  by  love  will  direct  our  regard 
to  Christ  and  his  grftat  salvation  ;  we  shall  turn 
away  our  eyes  from  beholding  vanity,  and  look  not 
chiefly  at  the  things  which  are  seen,  which  are  tem- 
poral, but  at  the  things  which  are  not  seen,  which 
are  eternal.  And  if,  according  to  our  profession  of 
the  Gospel,  we  are  "  risen  with  Christ,"  we  shall 
"  set  our  affections  on  things  that  are  above,  and  not 
on  things  that  are  on  earth." 

We  are  permitted  to  "  use  the  world,"  but  for- 
bidden *'  to  abuse  it."  The  necessaries  and  the  com- 
forts of  life  may  lawfully  be  enjoyed  if  kept  in  their 


95]  THE    VANITY    OP    THE    WORLD.  11 

proper  place;  if  used  with  moderation,  received  w^ith 
thankfulness,  and  in  subordination  to  the  service  and 
glory  of  God ;  but  not  as  our  portion  or  chief  good. 

This  subject  should  teach  us  to  be  contented  with 
our  lot  in  the  world,  and  should  keep  us  from  envy- 
ing the  rich,  and  great,  and  gay,  whose  prosperity  is 
so  dangerous  to  their  souls.  Those  who  have  abun- 
dance of  this  world's  goods  are  exposed  to  greater 
temptations  than  the  poor,  and  are  in  greater  danger 
of  being  deceived  and  ruined  by  the  love  of  vanity. 

Finally,  let  the  aged,  especially,  profit  by  this 
subject.  Surely  their  observation  and  experience 
confirm  the  truth  of  the  text ;  they  have  lived  long 
enough  to  see  that  all  is  vanity.  Their  relations,  the 
companions  of  their  youth,  the  relish  they  once  had 
for  pleasure,  and,  perhaps,  their  property  too,  are 
all  gone.  Let  them  then  renounce  the  world,  and 
seek  the  support  of  their  dechning  years  in  earnest 
prayer,  in  serious  meditation,  in  the  promises  of 
God,  and  in  the  hope  of  everlasting  life,  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Savior.     Amen. 


PRAYER. 

Almighty  God,  the  Creator  of  heaven  and  of 
earth ;  when  thou  hadst  finished  the  works  of  thine 
hands  thou  didst  pronounce  them  all  to  be  very 
good ;  but  by  the  entrance  of  sin,  all  the  creatures 
became  subject  to  vanity.  Thy  sinful  creatures  have 
forsaken  thee,  the  fountain  of  living  waters,  and 


12  SERMONS    TO    THE  AGED.  [96 

have  hewn  out  to  themselves  broken  cisterns  which 
can  hold  no  water.  They  love  the  creature  more 
than  the  Creator ;  and  seek  that  happiness  in  the 
things  of  time  and  sense  which  are  to  be  found  in 
thee  alone.  Turn  away  mine  eyes,  I  beseech  thee, 
from  beholding  vanity.  And  while  the  many  are 
saying,  Who  will  show  us  any  good  ?  lift  thou  up  on 
me,  O  Lord,  the  light  of  thy  reconciled  countenance ; 
and  by  the  cross  of  Jesus,  may  I  be  crucified  to  the 
world,  and  the  world  to  me.  Henceforth  enable  me 
to  set  my  affections  on  things  above,  and  with  sin- 
cerity to  say.  Whom  have  1  in  heaven  but  thee  ?  and 
there  is  none  upon  earth  I  desire  in  comparison  of 
thee.  Grant  this,  I  beseech  thee,  for  Jesus  Christ's 
sake.    Amen. 


PUBLISHED  Br   THE   AMERICAS   TBACT   SOCIETT. 


SSB.I^OZO'S  TO   THS   A&BD....3?J0.  9. 


THE   RIGHTEOUS  NOT  FORSAKEN 


Cast  'ine  not  off  in  the  time  of  old  age  ;  forsake  me  not 
lohen  my  strength  faileth — Psalm  71 : 9. 

Among  the  many  great,  advantages  we  derive 
from  the  word  of  God,  this  is  none  of  the  least ; 
that  it  furnishes  us  with  the  most  admirable  matter 
for  our  prayers.  The  petitions  which  we  find  in 
the  Scriptures  are  the  most  suitable  that  can  be 
imagined,  and  express,  in  a  wonderful  manner,  the 
best  desires  of  a  pious  heart.  On  this  account  the 
book  of  Psalms,  particularly,  is  highly  to  be  prized; 
and  the  Christian  may  often  adopt  the  petitions  he 
finds  there  with  the  greatest  satisfaction.  How  well 
is  the  petition  in  the  text  adapted  to  the  desires 
of  an  aged  Christian,  sinking  under  the  infirmities 
of  years,  conscious  of  needing  divine  support,  and 
dreading,  above  all  things,  the  loss  of  God's  presence. 

In  our  meditations  on  these  words  let  us, 

In  the  first  place,  consider  The  import  of  the 
petition  itself;  and 

5 


2  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [98 

Secondly,  The  encouragement  we  have  to  expect 
a  gracious  answer. 

1.  The  petition  includes  an  acknowledgment  of 
weakness,  the  weakness  which  is  generally  felt  in 
advanced  life.  A  few  persons  we  read  of,  or  meet 
with,  who  preserve  their  powers  and  faculties  to  a 
very  old  age.  Such  a  man  was  Moses,  when  a 
hundred  and  twenty  years  old ;  "his  eye  was  not 
dim,  nor  his  natural  force  abated."  Such  another 
man  was  Caleb,  a  man  who  had  "  followed  the  Lord 
fully."  When  he  claimed  his  promised  portion  in 
Canaan,  he  said  to  Joshua,  "  I  am  this  day  fourscore 
and  five  years  old ;  and  yet  I  am  as  strong  this  day 
as  I  was  in  the  day  that  Moses  sent  me ;  (forty-five 
years  before ;)  as  my  strength  was  then,  even  so  is 
my  strength  now."  But  these  are  very  uncommon 
cases.  The  usual  period  of  human  life  seldom  ex- 
tends to  more  than  threescore  years  and  ten ;  and  if, 
by  reason  of  strength,  it  reaches  further,  yet  is  that 
strength  attended  with  labor  and  sorrow.  The  eyes 
fail,  the  hearing  fails,  the  memory  fails,  the  limbs 
fail,  the  whole  tabernacle  totters  and  threatens  a 
speedy  fall.  The  mind,  too,  frequently  becomes 
feeble  and  timid,  inclined  to  sorrow  and  despon- 
dency. Under  these  painful  circumstances,  how 
needful,  how  desirable,  is  the  divine  assistance ; 
and  for  this  the  Psalmist  prays,  verse  the  12th,  "  O 
God  be  not  far  from  me ;  O  my  God  make  haste 
for  my  help." 

2.  The  petition  in  our  text  implies  the  experience 
of  God's  gracious  presence  and  help  in  time  past 


99]         THE  RIGHTEOUS  NOT  FORSAKEN.  8 

and  a  very  high  esteem  of  its  value  and  importance. 
Indeed  this  was  expressed  in  the  preceding  verses. 
"  Thou  art  my  hope,  O  Lord  God ;  thou  art  my 
trust  from  my  youth ;  by  thee  have  I  been  holden  up 
from  the  womb :  my  praise  shall  be  continually  of 
thee."  When  he  was  a  helpless  infant  it  was  God 
who  supported  him ;  and  when  a  young  man,  it  was 
God  who  protected  him ;  and  now  he  is  old  he  trusts 
that  God  will  not  forsake  him ;  as  if  he  had  said, 
Thou  who  didst  help  me  when  I  could  not  help 
myself,  wilt  not  abandon  me  now,  when,  through  the 
infirmities  of  age,  I  am  as  helpless  as  I  was  then. 
Those  who  have  "  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious," 
cannot  but  earnestly  desire  the  continuance  of  his 
presence.  Those  who  have  had  communion  with 
God  in  prayer,  in  his  word,  in  his  house,  in  his  ordi- 
nances, know  how  to  prize  that  privilege,  and  would 
dread  nothing  so  much  as  being  deprived  of  the  in- 
fluences of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Their  language  is,  with 
the  royal  penitent,  "  Cast  me  not  away  from  thy 
presence,  and  take  not  thy  Holy  Spirit  from  me." 
3.  The  petition  seems  to  imply  a  consciousness  of 
unworthiness,  and  that  God  might  justly  withdraw 
his  presence  and  assistance.  Humility  is  one  of  the 
fruits  which  Christians  should  bring  forth  in  old  age. 
The  long  experience  they  have  had  of  the  unut- 
terable deceitfulness  and  desperate  wickedness  of 
their  own  hearts ;  the  long  war  that  has  been  waged 
within  them  between  the  flesh  and  the  spirit ;  their 
numberless  failures  in  all  their  duties ;  their  back- 
slidings  in  heart,  if  not  in  conduct,  fill  them  with 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [100 

shame  and  grief;  they  blush  to  lift  up  their  faces  to 
a  holy  God ;  they  are  ashamed  and  confounded,  be- 
cause "  they  bear  the  reproach  of  their  youth,"  and  of 
every  succeeding  period  of  life.  They  own,  with  sin- 
cerity, that  they  have  been  "  unprofitable  servants," 
who  might  justly  be  turned  out  of  the  family ;  and 
"  barren  trees"  which  have  cumbered  the  ground, 
and  would  long  ago  have  been  cut  down,  had  not 
the  heavenly  Husbandman  pleaded,  time  after  time, 
*'Let  them  alone  one  year  more."  An  aged  Christian 
may  not  only  say,  (as  in  verse  7,)  "I  am  as  a  wonder 
xmto  many,"  but  "  I  am  a  wonder  to  myself;"  that  I, 
so  unworthy  and  sinful  a  creature,  should  have  been 
spared  so  long !  This  humbling  sense  of  sinfulness 
\  and  unworthiness  will  make  the  aged  believer  sin- 
cerely cry,  "  Cast  me  not  off  in  the  time  of  old  age, 
forsake  me  not  when  my  strength  faileth." 

4.  This  petition,  that  God  would  not  forsake  them, 
may  with  peculiar  propriety  be  offered  by  the  poor  of 
th^  flock,  who  have  outlived  all,  or  nearly  all  their 
relations  and  friends,  or  have  been  forsaken  by  those 
from  whom  they  expected  better  things.  Many  an 
aged  Christian  may  say,  with  the  Psalmist,  (88  :  18,) 
*'  Lover  and  friend  hast  thou  put  far  from  me,  and 
mine  acquaintance  into  darkness."  The  companions 
of  his  youth  are  dead,  or  removed  to  a  distance ;  the 
delight  of  his  eyes  is  gone  to  the  grave;  the  dear 
children  who  promised  to  be  the  staff  of  his  old  age 
are  no  more,  or,  what  is  worse,  they  shun  his  com- 
pany and  treat  him  with  coldness,  perhaps  with 
contempt ;   and   those   who    called   themselves   his 


101]        THE  RIGHTEOUS  NOT  FORSAKEN.  5 

"friends"  in  the  day  of  prosperity,  and  perhaps  are 
themselves  under  great  obligations  to  him,  are  un- 
grateful and  unkind.  Under  these  painful  circum- 
stances the  petition  in  the  text  becomes  doubly 
suitable ;  "  Cast  me  not  off,  forsake  me  not."  My 
relations  and  my  friends  have  forsaken  me ;  but  thou, 
O  God,  art  unchangeable  in  thy  love,  and  having 
loved  thine  own,  thou  lovest  them  to  the  end.  "  When 
my  father  and  my  mother" — my  wife,  my  husband, 
my  son,  my  daughter,  my  companions  "  forsake  me," 
be  pleased,  O  Lord,  to  "take  me  up.  Hide  not  thy 
face  from  me,  put  not  thy  servant  away  in  anger ; 
thou  hast  been  my  help ;  leave  me  not,  neither  for- 
sake me,  O  God  of  my  salvation."  Psalm  27: 9, 10. 

II.  We  may  now  proceed,  in  the  second  place,  to 
notice  the  encouragement  which  God  has  given  us 
in  his  word  to  expect  a  gracious  answer  to  this 
petition. 

There  are  many  great  and  precious  promises  to 
this  effect  in  the  sacred  Scriptures.  A  few  shall  be 
mentioned.  Psalm  9  :  10,  "  Thou,  Lord,  hast  not  for- 
saken them  that  seek  thee."  Psalm  37:28,  "The 
Lord  forsaketh  not  his  saints  ;  they  are  preserved  for 
ever."  Psalm  94 :  14,  "  The  Lord  will  not  cast  off 
his  people,  neither  will  he  forsake  his  inheritance." 
Timorous  Christians,  sensible  of  their  frailty,  may 
have  many  fears  on  this  head,  as  intimated  in  Isaiah, 
49  :  14,  *'  Zion  said,  The  Lord  hath  forsaken  me,  and 
my  Lord  hath  forgotten  me ;"  but  to  this  suspicion 
it  is  replied,  in  the  next  verse,  "  Can  a  woman  forget 


6  SERMONS    TO    THE   AGED.  [102 

her  sucking  child,  that  she  should  not  have  compas- 
sion on  the  son  of  her  womb  ?  Yea,  they  may  forget ; 
but  J  will  not  forget  thee.  Behold,  I  have  graven 
thee  upon  the  palms  of  my  hands ;  thy  walls  are  con- 
tinually before  me." 

But  a  Christian  may  say,  I  believe  that  God  is 
indeed  unchangeable,  and  will  not  forsake  his  own 
elect ;  but  so  treacherous  is  my  deceitful  heart  that 
I  often  fear  I  shall  forsake  him.  True,  and  so  you 
certainly  would,  should  he  leave  you  to  yourself;  but 
mark  what  he  has  promised,  Jeremiah,  32:40,  "I 
v/ill  make  an  everlasting  covenant  with  them,  that 
I  will  not  turn  away  from  them  to  do  them  good ; 
but  I  will  put  my  fear  in  their  hearts,  that  they  shall 
not  depart  from  we."  He  may,  indeed,  chastise  his 
people  for  their  wanderings;  he  may  "visit  their 
transgression  with  the  rod,  and  their  iniquity  with 
stripes ;  nevertheless,  his  loving  kindness  will  he  not 
utterly  take  from  them,  nor  suffer  his  faithfulness  to 
fail."  Psalm  89  :  32,  33.  '*  And  though  he  cause 
grief,  yet  will  he  have  compassion,  according  to  the 
multitude  of  his  mercies."  Lamentations,  3  :  22.  In 
a  word,  this  is  his  grand,  comprehensive  promise, 
originally  made  to  Joshua,  but  equally  made  to  every 
believer,  Hebrews,  13 : 5,  "I  will  never  leave  thee 
nor  forsake  thee."  These  words,  in  the  original,  con- 
tain five  negatives,  and  may  be  read  thus ;  "  No,  I 
will  not  leave  thee;  no,  no,  I  will  not  forsake  thee." 
This  promise  is  peculiarly  suited  to  the  aged ;  and, 
above  all,  to  persons  in  a  low  and  afflicted  state;  for 
it  is  brought  forward  by  St.  Paul  as  an  argument  for 


103]  THE   RIGHTEOUS   NOT   FORSAKEN.  7 

contentment :  "  Let  your  conversation  be  without 
covetousness,  (a  sin,  by  the  way,  to  which  old  people 
are  often  tempted,)  and  be  content  with  such  things 
as  ye  have  ;"  then  the  promise  follows,  *'  for  he  hath 
said,  I  will  never  leave  thee,"  &c.  and  then  another 
ground  of  encouragement  is  added ;  "  So  that  we 
may  boldly  say,  the  Lord  is  my  helper,  and  I  will 
not  fear  what  man  shall  do  unto  me."  Oh  what  won- 
derful provision  has  the  God  of  all  grace  made  for 
the  comfort  of  his  people !  Who  should  fear,  having 
such  precious  promises  as  these  ? 

But  there  is  yet  another  promise,  more  particu- 
larly given  to  the  aged,  in  Isaiah,  46 : 4,  which  de- 
serves your  special  notice.  "  Even  to  your  old  age,  I 
am  He ;  and  even  to  your  hoar  hairs  will  I  carry 
you ;  I  have  made  and  I  will  bear ;  even  I  will  carry, 
and  will  deliver  you." 

Jehovah,  the  self-existent,  the  eternal  God,  is 
the  speaker.  I — the  great  "I  AM — ^who  is,  who  was, 
who  is  to  come ;  the  Almighty."  The  word  *'  I"  is 
repeated  five  times  in  this  one  verse,  that  we  may 
better  regard  the  divinity  of  the  glorious  Promiser. 
^^ I  have  made^^''  saith  he.  I  am  thy  Creator;  "he 
made  us,  and  not  we  ourselves,"  we  are  the  clay,  he 
is  the  potter.  He  is  the  father  of  our  spirits,  and  the 
former  of  our  bodies.  By  him  "  we  were  fearfully 
and  wonderfully  made."  He  well  knows  our  feeble 
frame ;  "  he  remembereth  that  we  are  dust ;"  he 
therefore  well  knows  how  much  we  need  his  help. 
And  if  we  are  Christians  indeed,  we  are  "  created 
anew  in  Christ ;"  v/e  are  in  the  highest  sense  "  his 


^  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [104 

workmanship ;"  and  we  are  sure  that  he  will  have 
a  regard  to  the  work  of  his  own  hands ;  his  new- 
creating  work.  Let  us  not,  therefore,  give  way  to  fear, 
and  "  forget  the  Lord  our  Maker,  He  who  stretched 
forth  the  heavens,  and  laid  the  foundation  of  the 
earth;"  rather  let  us  in  every  trouble  say,  "Where 
is  God  my  Maker,  who  giveth  songs  in  the  night  f" 

"  I  will  iear,"  saith  he,  and  "  I  will  carry ^  even 
to  your  hoar  hair,"  even  to  extreme  old  age,  when 
"the  grasshopper  is  a  burden."  Aged  people  are 
seldom  without  their  burdens.  Besides  those  infirmi- 
ties and  pains  which  are  themselves  a  heavy  burden, 
they  have  sometimes  a  load  of  worldly  cares  from 
straitened  circumstances ;  the  support  of  children 
or  grand-children  who  are  unable  to  provide  for 
themselves ;  and  in  some  instances  the  additional 
and  heaviest  load  of  all,  the  burden  of  guilt  on 
their  consciences,  and  the  slavish  fear  of  death  and 
eternity. 

What  an  all-sufficient  friend,  then,  is  God  in 
Christ,  who  freely  pardons  the  sins  of  all  who  be- 
lieve ;  who  invites  us  to  the  throne  of  grace,  not  only 
that  we  may  "  obtain  mercy,"  but  also  that  we  may 
*'  find  grace  to  help  in  time  of  need."  Surely,  then, 
may  the  believer  say,  "  In  the  Lord  have  I  righteous- 
ness and  strength.'*''  He  will  carry ;  he  icill  bear.  So 
it  is  written  of  the  good  shepherd,  Isaiah,  40 :  11, 
*'  He  shall  feed  his  flock  like  a  shepherd ;  he  shall 
gather  the  lambs  with  his  arm,  and  carry  them  in 
his  bosom,  and  shall  gently  lead  those  that  are  with 
young."    And  if  it  be  so,  the  question  that  follows, 


105  THE   RIGHTEOUS    NOT   FORSAKEN.  9 

verse  27,  may  be  proposed  to  the  reason  and  con- 
science of  the  behever;  "  Why  sayest  thou,  O  Jacob, 
my  way  is  hid  from  the  Lord,  and  my  judgment  is 
passed  over  from  my  God  ?"  Hearken  to  the  reply ; 
"  Hast  thou  not  known,  hast  thou  not  heard,  that  the 
everlasting  God,  the  Lord,  the  Creator  of  the  ends  of 
the  earth,  fainteth  not,  neither  is  weary  ?  He  giveth 
power  to  the  faint,  and  to  them  that  have  no  might 
he  increaseth  strength.  Even  the  youths  shall  faint, 
and  the  young  men  shall  utterly  fail ;  but  they  that 
wait  on  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength ;  they 
shall  mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles,  they  shall  run 
and  not  be  weary,  and  they  shall  walk  and  not  faint." 
Oh  what  a  divine  cordial  is  this  for  an  aged  saint  ? 
There  is  one  more  clause  in  this  precious  promise, 
I  loill  deliver.  Having  been  borne  up,  and  carried 
through  life,  even  to  old  age,  complete  deliverance 
shall  crown  the  whole.  Jesus  Christ  came  to  deliver 
his  people  from  the  curse  of  the  law — to  deliver 
them  from  this  present  evil  world,  and  from  the 
slavish  fear  of  death,  and  to  support  them  in  the 
final  struggle.  Many  are  the  fears  which  some  pious 
people  feel  in  the  prospect  of  death,  and  frequently, 
of  the  pains  of  dying.  But  how  unreasonable  are 
these  misgivings !  Hath  not  the  Lord  who  created 
thee',  O  Jacob,  and  he  that  formed  thee,  O  Israel, 
said,  "  Fear  not,  for  I  have  redeemed  thee ;  I  have 
called  thee  by  thy  name ;  thou  art  mine.  When  thou 
passest  through  the  waters,  I  will  be  with  thee ;  and 
through  the  rivers,  they  shall  not  overflow  thee ; 
when  thou  walkest  through  the  fire,  thou  shalt  not 
5* 


10  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [106 

be  burnt ;  neither  shall  the  flame  kindle  upon  thee." 
Instead,  then,  of  fearing  lest  God  should  cast  thee  off 
in  the  time  of  old  age,  or  forsake  thee  in  the  closing 
scene,  when  heart  and  flesh  shall  fail,  adopt  the 
Psalmist's  words  of  faith :  "  Yea,  though  I  walk 
through  the  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death,  I  will 
fear  no  evil ;"  and  for  this  good  reason,  '*  for  thou 
art  with  me,  thy  rod  and  thy  staff  they  comfort  me." 
Psalm  23: 4- 


CONCLUSION. 

Happy  is  the  man  who,  with  a  humble  and  sincere 
heart,  offers  up  to  God  the  petition  in  the  text ;  who 
is  not  only  sensible  of  his  bodily  weakness,  but  who 
has  had  some  experience  of  the  gracious  presence 
and  blessing  of  God ;  who  is  deeply  sensible  of  his 
extreme  unworthiness  of  that  privilege,  and  though 
poor  and  needy,  neglected  and  deserted  by  his 
friends,  looks  up  with  humble  hope  to  his  heavenly 
Father,  his  unchangeable  Friend.  Such  a  man  has 
nothing  to  fear,  but  every  thing  to  hope.  He  is  faith- 
ful who  made  the  promise;  he  cannot  deceive,  or 
forget,  or  forsake  those  who  flee  to  him  for  shelter, 
and  take  refuge  under  the  cover  of  his  wings. 
Heaven  and  earth  may  pass  away,  but  not  a  jot  or 
a  tittle  of  his  word  shall  fail. 

But  is  the  language  of  the  text  the  language  of 
every  aged  person,  of  every  reader  of  this  discourse  ? 


107]  THE    RIGHTEOUS    NOT    FORSAKEN.  11 

Would  to  God  it  were.  But  may  it  not  be  feared 
that  some  are,  to  use  the  words  of  Scripture,  "stout- 
hearted, and  far  from  righteousness  V^  Alas !  they 
never  knew  the  pleasure  of  communion  with  God, 
nor  desired  to  know  it.  The  help  of  fellow-creatures 
they  are  glad  to  receive ;  but  they  are  strangers  to 
prayer,  and  ask  not  help  of  God.  On  the  contrary, 
the  horrid  language  of  wicked  men  is,  "Depart  from 
us,  for  we  desire  not  the  knowledge  of  thy  ways." 
This  is  a  sad  case.  A  poor  old  infirm  man  or  woman, 
full  of  pains  and  aches,  tottering  on  the  brink  of  the 
grave,  and  in  danger  of  dropping  into  hell — is  a 
shocking  spectacle !  May  God,  of  his  infinite  good- 
ness, awaken  such  to  discover  their  danger,  and  in- 
stantly to  flee  for  mercy  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  only 
"  deliverer  from  the  wrath  to  come,"  lest,  when  he 
appears  the  second  time  to  judgment,  he  should 
utter  the  dreadful  sentence,  "Depart  from  me,  ye 
cursed,"  <fec.  Come  then  to  him  without  delay,  and 
take  the  text  for  your  prayer,  "  Cast  me  not  off  in 
the  time  of  old  age,  forsake  me  not  when  my  strength 
faileth." 


PRAYER. 

O  God,  I  humbly  approach  thee  with  the  words 
which  thou  hast  taught  me.  Cast  me  not  off  in  the 
time  of  old  age ;  forsake  me  not  when  my  strength 
faileth.  I  am  indeed  weak  both  in  body  and  mind, 


13  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [108 

and  now  feel  more  than  ever  the  need  of  thy  gracious 
help.  That  help,  O  Lord,  thou  hast  often  afforded  m 
time  past ;  and  no^y,  when  my  natural  strength  faileth, 
and  creature-comforts  fail,  be  thou  the  strength  of 
my  heart,  and  lift  upon  me,  in  the  valley  of  dark- 
ness, the  light  of  thy  reconciled  countenance.  In  the 
Lord  Jesus  let  me  daily  find  my  righteousness  and 
my  strength. 

Thanks  be  to  thee,  O  my  God,  for  thy  precious 
promises.  Thou  hast  said  thou  wilt  not  forsake  thy 
people,  nor  suffer  them  to  forsake  thee ;  thou  who 
hast  made  them  hast  promised  to  bear,  to  carry, 
and  to  deliver  them ;  and  hast  solemnly  assured  them 
that  thou  wilt  never,  never,  never  forsake  them.  O 
God,  increase  my  faith  in  these  promises,  so  that  I 
may  trust  and  not  be  afraid ;  but  with  humble,  holy 
boldness,  say.  The  Lord  is  my  helper ;  and  if  the 
Lord  be  with  me  and  for  me,  who  can  be  against 
me?  None  shall  be  able  to  separate  me  from  the 
love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord. 
Amen  and  Amen. 


PUBLISHED   BY    THE    AMERICAN    TRACT    SOCIETY. 


SBIUM0N8  VO  TBS  AOBS....»ro,  10. 


THE  AGED  PILGRIM 


And  Pharaoh  said  unto  Jacob,  How  old  art  thou^ 
And  Jacob  said  unto  Pharaoh,  TJie  days  of  the 
years  of  my  pilgrimage  are  an  hundred  and  thirty 
years:  few  and  evil  have  the  days  oftlie  years  of  my 
life  been,  and  have  not  attained  unto  the  days  of  the 
years  of  the  life  of  my  fathers  in  the  days  of  their 
pilgrimage. — Genesis,  47 : 8,  9. 

These  words  contain  a  question  and  an  answer? 
a  very  common  question,  a  very  uncommon  answer. 
The  question  was  proposed  to  Jacob  by  Pharaoh, 
king  of  Egypt ;  the  answer  was  given  by  the  aged 
patriarch,  the  grandson  of  Abraham,  who  also 
walked  in  the  steps  of  his  faith. 

Joseph,  who  introduced  Jacob  to  the  king,  was 
the  favorite  son  of  Jacob.  When  a  youth,  he  was 
envied  and  hated  by  his  elder  brethren,  and  by  them 
cruelly  sold  to  strangers,  by  whom  he  was  earned 
into  Egypt ;  where,  after  many  sufferings,  he  was 
highly  advanced,  and  became  the  prime  minister  of 
the  king.  Being  endued  with  the  spirit  of  prophecy^ 
he  foretold  seven  years  of  approaching  scarcity,  and 


g  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED-  [110 

by  his  prudence  prevented  a  destructive  famine.  The 
sons  of  Jacob,  who  then  sojourned  in  Canaan,  were 
obhged  to  repair  to  Joseph,  (whom  they  did  not  then 
recollect,)  who  repeatedly  supplied  them  with  corn ; 
and  afterward  invited  their  father  to  come  into 
Egypt  and  sojourn  there.  He  came  ;  he  was  trans- 
ported with  joy  in  beholding  his  long-lost  son,  and 
said  to  him,  "Now  let  me  die,  since  I  have  seen  thy 
face,  because  thou  art  yet  alive !" 

Joseph  afterward  introduced  his  venerable  father 
to  the  king,  who  could  not  but  take  an  interest  in 
the  parent  of  a  favorite  minister,  who  had  saved  the 
country  from  starvation.  When  the  pious  patriarcl; 
appeared  in  the  royal  presence,  the  king  asked  him 
the  question  in  our  text.  The  great  age  and  the 
many  afflictions  of  his  life  had  probably  made  him 
look  extremely  aged :  it  was,  therefore,  natural  to 
ask,  "How  old  art  thou  ?"  or,  as  it  is  rendered  more 
literally  in  the  margin,  "  How  many  are  the  days  of 
the  years  of  thy  life  ?"  Jacob  replies  "  The  days  of 
the  years  of" — not  of  my  life^  in  the  words  of  Pha- 
raoh, but  "the  days  of  the  years  oi  jwy  pilgrimage,'^'' 
&c.  This  was  a  peculiar  answer;  it  was  the  answer 
of  a  pious  man,  not  of  "  a  man  of  the  world,  whose 
portion  is  in  this  life  ;"  but  of  a  believer  in  the  reve- 
lation and  promise  which  God  had  made  of  a  hea- 
venly inheritance,  toward  which  he  was  travelling. 
Pharaoh  was  an  ignorant  heathen ;  a  worshipper  of 
false  gods  and  images,  and,  perhaps,  could  scarcely 
understand  what  Jacob  meant  by  his  being  a  pilgrim ; 
but  the  good  patriarch  was  not  ashamed  of  his  reli- 


Ill]  THE    AGED    PILGRIM.  3 

gion,  and,  as  a  man  of  God,  he  takes  this  fair  oppor- 
tunity of  declaring  his  faith  before  a  pagan  prince. 

This  circumstance  is  noticed  by  St.  Paul  in  his 
Epistle  to  the  Hebrews,  (chap.  11 :  13.)  "  These  all 
died  in  faith,"  (he  refers  to  Abraham,  Isaac,  and 
Jacob,)  "  not  having  received  the  promises,"  that  is, 
the  promise  of  Canaan,  and  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
in  whom  all  nations  were  to  be  blessed ;  '*  but  they 
were  persuaded  of  them,  and  embraced  them  ;"  and 
then  observe  what  follows ;  they  confessed^  as  Jacob 
did  in  the  text,  "  that  they  were  strangers  and  pil- 
grims on  the  earth."  A  similar  confession  was  made 
in  after-times  by  king  David,  "  Hear  my  prayer,  O 
Lord,  for  I  am  a  stranger  with  thee,  and  a  sojourner, 
as  all  my  fathers  were,"  (Psalm  39 :  12,)  and  again, 
*'  I  am  a  stranger  in  the  earth,  hide  not  thy  com- 
mandments from  me."  And  St.  Peter,  in  the  New 
Testament,  uses  the  same  term  as  applicable  to 
Christians,  (1  Peter,  2  :  11,)  "  Dearly  beloved,  I  be- 
seech you,  as  strangers  and  pilgrims,  abstain  from 
fleshly  lusts,  which  war  against  the  soul." 

We  shall  now  proceed  to  a  consideration  which 
well  deserves  the  special  notice  of  aged  persons : 
it  is  this — 

All  real  Christians  are  pilgrims  and  strangers  in 
the  present  world,  travelling  toward  their  heavenly 
home. 

And  here  we  shall  show — from  whence  they 
begin  their  journey — ^the  great  object  they  have  in 
view — the  road  which  they  travel — their  temper  and 


4  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [112 

conduct  on  their  way,  and — ^the  final  result,  in  the 
attainmenfe^of  their  object. 

1.  They  forsake  their  native  home,  or,  in  other 
words,  their  original  state  and  condition.  "  All  men 
have  sinned."  ^'  There  is  none  righteous,  no,  not 
one."  "  Every  mouth  must  be  stopped,  and  all  the 
world  become  guilty  before  God."  The  Christian 
pilgrim  is  convinced  of  this ;  he  sees,  he  feels  that 
he  is  a  sinner ;  and,  as  a  sinner,  exposed  to  the  dread- 
ful wrath  and  anger  of  a  just  and  holy  God.  This 
makes  him  uneasy.  It  excites  alarm.  He  is  afraid, 
as  well  he  may  be,  of  the  judgments  of  God.  He 
wishes  to  "  flee  from  the  wrath  to  come ;"  and  he 
asks,  with  trembling  anxiety,  "  What  must  I  do  to 
be  saved  .^"  He  now  begins  to  pray.  He  begins  to 
read  his  Bible.  He  repairs  to  the  house  of  God,  and 
listens  to  the  Gospel  with  a  seriousness  unknown 
before.  He  learns  from  the  word  that  "  except  a 
man  repent  he  must  perish;"  that  except  "he  be- 
lieves in  Christ  he  must  be  condemned  ;"  that  "  ex- 
cept he  be  born  again  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom 
of  God."  He  perceives,  therefore,  that  he  must  be 
brought  out  of  his  original  state,  and  begin  a  new 
life.  This  is  like  a  traveller  leaving  his  home,  which 
he  finds  is  no  longer  safe ;  or,  to  adopt  the  similitude 
of  Bunyan,  in  his  "  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  he  sees  that 
he  must  immediately  quit  ^^the  city  of  Destruction^'^^ 
and  escape  for  his  life. 

And  thus  he  resembles  Abraham,  the  father  of  the 
faithful,  whose  first  act  of  faith  was  obedience  to  the 
divine  command,  "  Get  thee  out  of  thy  country,  and 


113]  THE    AGED    PILGRIM.  5 

from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy  father's  house,  unto 
a  land  that  I  will  show  thee ;"  "  and  he  went  out, 
not  knowing  whither  he  went."  And  by  the  same 
faith  "  he  sojourned  in  the  land  of  promise,  as  in  a 
strange  country,  dwelling  in  tents  :"  but  "  he  had  no 
possession  in  it,  no,  not  so  much  as  to  set  his  foot  on." 
In  like  manner,  real  Christians  are  called,  eflectually 
called,  by  the  word  and  Spirit  of  God,  out  of  a  state 
of  ignorance,  carnality,  and  unbelief,  to  commence 
their  spiritual  pilgrimage. 

2.  They  have  a  great  object  in  view.  Mistaken 
men,  ignorant  of  the  Gospel,  have  sometimes  be- 
come pilgrims.  The  Mahomedans  will  travel  hun- 
dreds of  miles  to  their  prophet's  tomb  at  Mecca;  and 
idolatrous  Hindoos  will  travel  equal  distances  to  the 
temple  of  Juggernaut,  in  India.  Their  object  is  ut- 
terly vain  and  foolish ;  but  the  object  of  the  Christian 
is  no  less  than  everlasting  life — eternal  glory !  This 
is  the  prize  of  our  high  calling.  Faith  has  taught  the 
Christian  to  look,  "not  at  the  things  which  are  seen, 
which  are  temporal,  but  at  the  things  which  are  not 
seen,  which  are  eternal."  Compared  with  the  reali- 
ties of  eternity,  what  are  all  the  affairs  of  time  ^ 
The  riches,  and  honors,  and  pleasures  of  this  world 
dwindle  into  nothing ;  "  they  are  less  than  nothing, 
and  vanity."  A  believer  often  dwells,  in  his  solemn 
meditations,  on  the  astonishing  subject  which  was 
well  expressed  by  a  pious  and  eloquent  writer : 
*'  Suppose,"  said  he,  *'  the  earth  to  be  entirely  com- 
posed of  the  finest  particles  of  sand,  and  that  an 
angel,  once  in  a  thousand  years,  was  commissioned 


0  SERMONS    TO    THE  AGED.  [114 

to  remove  one  of  these  particles,  and  that  man  was 
to  exist  till  the  whole  globe  was  destroyed :  thou- 
sands and  thousands  of  years  would  roll  on  ere  the 
smallest  diminution  would  be  perceptible :  but  thinks 
if  the  powers  of  imagination  do  not  fail  in  the  in- 
quiry, of  the  millions  of  ages  which  must  elapse  ere 
the  quarter,  the  half,  the  whole,  be  annihilated  I 
Yet,  even  then,  eternity  is  but  commencing." 

Surely,  then,  with  such  a  view  of  eternity,  the 
salvation  of  the  soul  ought  to  be  the  grand  object  of 
pursuit.  To  avoid  an  eternity  of  torment,  and  to  se- 
cure an  eternity  of  happiness,  are  matters  of  infinite 
importance,  and  call  for  the  utmost  diligence,  zeal, 
md  perseverance. 

Now,  to  attain  this  object,  what  is  necessary  ?  Sin 
must  be  pardoned.  Our  innumerable  sins  call  for 
vengeance :  they  must  be  blotted  out,  or  we  must 
suffer  deserved  punishment.  Blessed  be  the  God  of 
infinite  mercy,  "  there  is  forgiveness  with  him,"  even 
for  the  chief  of  sinners ;  and  through  faith  in  the 
blood  of  Jesus,  all  our  sins,  however  many,  may  be 
blotted  out.  And  as  heaven,  the  pilgrim's  great 
object,  is  a  prepared  place  for  a  prepared  people, 
we  must  "be  born  again;"  we  must  be  made  "new 
rreatures ;"  we  must  be  "  renewed"  by  the  Holy 
Spirit ;  we  must  die  to  sin,  and  live  to  righteousness. 
With  this  object  in  view,  the  Christian  pilgrim  hears, 
and  reads,  and  watches,  and  prays,  that  "being 
made  free  from  sin,  and  become  a  servant  to  God, 
he  may  have  his  fruit  unto  holiness,  and  the  end 
everlasting  life." 


115j  THE   AGED    PILGRIM.  7 

3.  Consider  next,  the  road  which  he  travels.  Men 
have  invented  various  ways  in  which  they  hope  to 
obtain  the  divine  favor  :  "  by  works  of  righteousness 
which  they  have  done :"  by  their  charities,  their  de- 
votions, and  goodness  of  heart,  they  have  presumed 
to  be  able  to  merit  the  salvation  of  their  souls  ;  but 
these  the  Christian  entirely  discards  ;  and  says  with 
St.  Paul,  "  Not  by  works  of  righteousness  which  I 
have  done,  but  according  to  his  mercy  he  hath  saved 
me,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing 
of  the  Holy  Ghost.  By  grace  am  I  saved,  through 
faith;  and  that  not  of  myself;  it  is  the  gift  of  God: 
not  of  works,  lest  any  man  should  boast." 

Jesus  Christ  himself  said,  ^' I  am  the  way;  no  man 
Cometh  unto  the  Father  but  by  me."  He  is  "the 
new  and  living  way ;"  the  consecrated  way ;  the  way 
into  the  holiest  of  all,  even  into  heaven ;  and  in  this 
way  the  believer  has  the  privilege  of  "  drawing  near 
to  God  with  a  true  heart,  in  full  assurance  of  faith," 
Heb.  10  :  19,  &c. 

4.  Let  us  now  observe  what  is  the  temper  and 
conduct  of  the  pilgrim  while  pursuing  his  way  to  the 
kingdom.  Christ  said  to  his  disciples,  "  Ye  are  not 
of  the  world,  even  as  I  am  not  of  the  world."  One 
design  of  the  death  of  Christ  was  to  "  deliver  them 
from  this  present  world;"  and  one  of  his  last  peti- 
tions for  them  was,  "  that  they  might  be  kept  from 
the  evil."  The  world  is  a  dangerous  foe  to  the  soul. 
Fallen  man  has  forsaken  God,  and  chosen  the  world 
for  his  portion  and  chief  good.  Every  thing  in  it 
tempts  him  to  live  a  life  of  sense;  to  gratify  his  eye. 


8  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [116 

his  ear,  his  taste,  his  touch ;  this  is  his  study,  his 
constant  pursuit,  and  only  delight.    But  believers  in 
Christ  are  delivered  from  this  bondage,  and  each 
may  say  in  his  measure,  vs^ith  the  apostle,  "  I  am 
crucified  with  Christ ;  the  world  is  crucified  unto 
me,  and  I  unto  the  world."    The  world  has  lost  its 
charms ;  it  is  no  longer  his  chief  good.    He  is  "  in 
the  world,"  but  not  "  of  the  world."    He  uses  the 
world,  but  does  not  abuse  it.    He  has  his  temporal 
affairs  to  manage ;  the  duties  of  his  calling  and  re- 
lations to  discharge ;  he  is  not  idle,  nor  careless,  nor 
dishonest ;  but  endeavors  to  glorify  God  whether  he 
eats  or  drinks,  or  labors,  or  suffers ;  but  he  is  not  at 
home ;  he  is  a  pilgrim  on  his  journey,  and  must  not 
be  hindered.    If  a  traveller  meets  with  poor  lodging 
and  entertainment  he  does  not  much  regard  it.    It 
rather  urges  him  to  press  forward ;  and  if  he  stops 
at  a  pleasant  inn  and  is  well  entertained,  he  does 
not  think  of  making  it  his  abode ;  his  ultimate  object 
is  always  kept  in  view,  and  he  proceeds  on  his  way, 
recruited  by  his  rest,  and  invigorated  for  his  journey. 
John  Bunyan  has  happily  represented  this  in  his 
Pilgrim's  Progress,  where  Christian  and  his  compa- 
nion pass  through  "  Vanity  Fair."  The  fair  abounded 
with  a  variety  of  curious  objects,  and  the  pilgrims 
were  strongly  solicited  to  purchase ;  but  they  were 
indifferent  to  all  the  baubles  there  exhibited,  and  by 
their  total  disregard  of  them  gave  great  offence  to 
the  people  of  the  fair.  And  thus  it  will  ever  be  :  the 
world  is  sorely  displeased  with  real  Christians,  be- 
cause they  do  not  value  its  wares ;  because  they  do 


117]  THE    AGED    PILGRIM.  0 

/ 

not  love  its  vain  and  wicked  pleasures  and  amuse- 
ments ;  but  faith  will  persevere,  whatever  be  the 
consequences. 

5.  The  Christian  pilgrim  will  do  well  at  last.  "  It 
shall  be  well  with  the  righteous."  He  that  faints  not 
shall  reap;  he  shall  receive  "the  end  of  his  faith, 
even  the  salvation  of  his  soul."  This  was  his  object 
at  setting  out ;  this  was  his  object  all  along  the  road, 
even  to  the  end  of  it ;  and  having  "  fought  the  good 
fight,  and  finished  his  course,  and  kept  the  faith,  he 
shall  receive  the  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the 
Lord,  the  righteous  Judge,  shall  give  him  at  that 
day."  He  must,  indeed,  ford  the  river  which  sepa- 
rates earth  from  heaven ;  as  in  old  time,  the  children 
of  Israel  must  pass  through  the  Jordan  to  enter  the 
promised  land ;  but  the  Lord  can  either  so  order  it, 
that,  like  them,  he  shall  pass  the  bed  of  the  river 
dry  shod ;  or,  if  not,  he  will  fulfill  that  precious  pro- 
mise, "When  thou  passest  through  the  waters,  I 
will  be  with  thee ;  and  through  the  rivers,  they  shall 
not  overflow  thee." 


CONCLUSION. 

Reader,  "  Jtow  old  art  thou  ?"  You  answer  sixty, 
seventy,  possibly  eighty.  You  have  lived  long.  Much 
longer  than  many  of  your  friends  or  kindred.  You 
have  had  many  mercies — mercies  without  number ; 
you  have  lived  in  a  Christian  country ;  and  in  the 


10  SERMONS    TO    THE    AGED.  [118 

course  of  seventy  years  you  have  had  three  thousand 
six  hundred  and  forty  Sabbaths,  and  might  have 
heard  at  least  twice  that  number  of  sermons,  and 
might  have  read  the  Bible  through  fifty  times.  What 
benefit  have  you  derived  from  all  these  privileges  ? 
Has  your  life,  or  any  part  of  it,  been  a  Christian 
pilgrimage  ?  When  did  you  leave  the  city  of  Destruc- 
tion f  Has  heaven  been  the  constant  object  of  your 
pursuit?  Has  Christ  been  your  way,  and  holiness 
your  walk  ?  Have  you  been  dead  to  the  world,  and 
alive  to  God  ?  Important  inquiries  !  Have  you  lived 
in  folly,  vanity,  sin,  worldly-mindedness  ?  and  must 
you  now  say,  "  The  harvest  is  past,  the  summer  is 
ended,  and  /  am  not  saved.^^  Jer.  8  :  20.  Alas  !  alas ! 
how  mournful  is  this — not  saved/  not  saved!  Then  a 
long  life  has  been  thrown  away.  You  are  not  saved 
yet.  But,  mark !  if  you  are  not  saved  soon,  you  must 
be  lost  for  ever.  O  then  "  seek  the  Lord,  while,"  as 
we  hope,  "  he  may  yet  be  found ;"  call  upon  him,  in 
earnest  prayer  for  mercy,  lest  he  say.  Depart  from 
me  for  ever. 

But  let  the  Christian  pilgrim  review,  with  great 
thankfulness,  mingled  with  deep  humility,  all  the 
way  he  has  travelled.  The  long  journey  will  soon 
end,  and  that  end  will  be  peace. 

A  feeble  saint  shall  win  the  day, 
Though  death  and  hell  obstruct  the  way* 


119]  THE   AGED    PILGRIM.  11 

PRAYER. 

O  God,  the  God  of  Abraham,  of  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
who  didst  lead  and  guide  them  all  the  days  of  their 
pilgrimage,  and  hast  also  called  me,  by  thy  grace,  to 
imitate  their  example,  and  to  pursue  the  same  course 
of  faith  and  self-denial ;  strengthen  me,  I  beseech 
thee,  with  might  by  thy  Spirit,  in  the  inner  man, 
that  I  may  not  turn  back  nor  turn  aside,  but  hold 
on  my  way,  growing  stronger  and  stronger  to  the 
end.  Preserve  me  from  being  slothful,  and  enable 
me  to  follow  them  who  through  faith  and  patience 
inherit  the  promises :  and  may  I  show  the  same  dili- 
gence to  the  full  assurance  of  hope  to  the  end.  Pre- 
serve me,  O  God,  from  the  love  of  the  world ;  let 
me  not  be  deceived  by  its  lying  vanities ;  but  may  I 
be  crucified  to  the  world  by  the  cross  of  Christ ;  and 
as  I  advance  in  years,  and  every  day  draw  nearer  to 
the  grave,  may  I  become  more  and  more  dead  to  the 
world ;  more  and  more  alive  to  God ;  more  confident 
in  Christ,  more  lively  in  hope,  and  more  spiritual  in 
my  affections  :  and  O  grant  me  at  last  an  abundant 
entrance  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  my  Lord 
and  Savior  Jesus  Christ. 


13  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [120 

HYMN. 

Guide  me,  O  thou  great  Jehovah, 
Pilgrim  through  this  barren  land ; 

I  am  weak,  but  thou  art  mighty ; 
Hold  me  with  thy  powerful  hand : 

Bread  of  heaven 

Feed  me  till  I  want  no  more. 

Open,  Lord,  the  crystal  fountain 

Whence  the  healing  streams  do  flow ; 

Let  the  fiery,  cloudy  pillar 

Lead  me  all  my  journey  through  : 

Strong  Deliverer 

Be  thou  still  my  strength  and  shield. 

When  I  tread  the  verge  of  Jordan, 
Bid  my  anxious  fears  subside ; 

Death  of  death,  and  hell's  destruction. 
Land  me  safe  on  Canaan's  side : 

Songs  of  praises 

I  will  ever  give  to  thee. 


PUBLISHED   BY   THE   AMERICAN   TRACT   SOCIETY. 


SBRAKOXrS   TO   THB  AaBZI....ZrO.  11, 
PEACE  IN  DEATH, 

OR 

SIMEON'S    SONG.     ^ 


Lord,  1WW  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace, 
according  to  thy  icord  ;  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy 
salvation, — Luke,  2 :  29,  30. 

Aged  people,  if  serious,  will  "  so  number  their 
(remaining)  days  that  they  may  apply  their  hearts 
to  wisdom;"  to  "  the  fear  of  the  Lord,'*  or  true  reli- 
gion, *''for  that  is  wisdom."  They  know  that  "  they 
must  needs  die,"  and  that  death  cannot  be  far  dis- 
tant. How  desirable,  then,  is  it  to  die  safely^  and  to 
die  in  peace,  as  that  good  old  man  Simeon  did, 
whose  words,  in  the  prospect  of  death,  we  have  just 
now  read. 

Of  this  good  man  we  have  an  excellent  character. 
He  was  "just  and  devout,  waiting  for  the  consolation 
of  Israel."  He  was  an  honest  and  upright  man  in  all 
his  dealings  with  men  :  this  was  commendable  ;  but 
he  was  more,  he  was  devout,  he  was  a  godly,  pray- 
ing man;  and  more  still,  he  was  one  who  waited  for 


2  SERMONS    TO    fHE   AGED.  [122 

the  consolation  of  Israel ;  that  is,  for  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  the  Savior  of  Israel,  and  of  the 
world.  The  Jews  in  general  were  looking  for  the 
promised  Messiah,  ''the  Christ ;  but  most  of  them 
looked  only  for  a  temporal  prince,  who  should  raise 
them  to  great  worldly  prosperity ;  but  Simeon,  being 
taught  of  God,  looked  and  longed  for  the  coming  of 
a  Savior — a  Savior  from  sin,  and  from  the  wrath  of 
God  due  to  sin ;  one  who  should  '*  redeem  Israel 
from  all  their  iniquities." 

Simeon  had  also  the  spirit  of  prophecy ;  and  it 
was  revealed  to  him  that  he  should  not  see  death ; 
that  is,  that  he  should  not  die  till  the  Messiah  came ; 
that  he  should  be  gratified  with  a  sight  of  the  ex- 
pected Savior  in  person. 

By  an  intimation  from  the  same  Spirit,  he  was 
directed  to  go  to  the  Temple  at  the  very  time  when 
the  mother  and  supposed  father  of  Jesus  brought 
the  holy  infant  there  that  they  might  present  him  to 
God,  as  it  was  ordained  by  the  law  concerning  the 
first-born. 

Simeon,  who  probably  had  not  before  seen  him, 
perhaps  had  not  even  heard  of  his  birth,  knew,  by 
inspiration,  that  the  infant  presented  was  the  Holy 
one  of  God  ;  the  expected  consolation  of  Israel,  for 
whom  he  waited.  Then,  taking  the  holy  child  into 
his  arms,  with  sacred  delight,  he  blessed  God  for  his 
unspeakable  gift,  and  for  indulging  him  with  a  spec- 
tacle which  many  kings  and  prophets  had  in  vain  de- 
sired to  behold ;  and  now,  having  lived  long  enough^ 
he  expressed  not  only  a  willingness  but  a  desire  to 


123]  PEACE    IN   DEATH.  3 

depart ;  for,  said  he,  "  Mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  sal- 
vation :"  a  salvation  not  for  the  Jews  only,  but  for 
*'  all  people ;  a  light  to  lighten  the  Gentiles,  and  the 
glory  of  thy  people  Israel." 

Happy,  indeed,  was  Simeon,  thus  to  meet  death! 
He  had  welcomed  Christ,  and  then  he  could  welcome 
death.  May  this  be  our  happy  experience  when  we 
come  to  die ;  and  in  humble  hope  that  it  may  be  so, 
tet  us  seriously  consider  the  text  under  the  three 
following  particulars. 

I.  Jesus  Christ  is  God's  salvation. 

II.  Believers  obtain  a  spiritual  sight  of  him. 

III.  They  are  then  prepared  to  die. 

I.  Jesus  Christ  is  here  called  SALVATION ;  not  a 
Saviar  only,  which  is  the  usual  name,  but  salva- 
tion, whi<:h  is  a  stronger  term,  and  more  emphatic. 
Thus  he  is  named  in  Isaiah,  12  : 1,  2.  "  In  that  day 
thou  shalt  say,  O  Lord,  I  will  praise  thee :  though 
thou  wast  angry  with  me,  thine  anger  is  turned 
away  and  thou  comfortedst  me.  Behold  !  God  is  my 
SALVATION.  I  will  trust,  and  not  be  afraid ;  for  the 
Lord  Jehovah  is  my  strength  and  my  song.  He  also 
is  become  my  salvation."  In  this  most  illustrious 
prophecy,  which  doubtless  refers  to  Christ,  (for  there 
is  no  other  Savior,)  he  is  styled  THF  Lord  Jeho- 
vah— a  name  peculiar  to  the  Most  High ;  he  is  truly 
and  properly  God  ;  *'  God  manifest  in  the  flesh — the 
Word  made  flesh;"  the  glorious  person  whom  Si- 
meon embraced  in  his  arms,  and  whom  he  called  by 
the  same  name  as  Isaiah  did,  salvation.  And  he  is 


4  SERMONS    TO    THE  AGED.  [124 

properly  so  called,  because  he  is  the  sum  and  sub- 
stance, the  AUTHOR  and  giver  of  the  whole  salva- 
tion of  all  the  elect  people  of  God,  from  first  to  last ; 
the  Alpha  and  the  Omega;  yea,  in  the  whole  of  our 
redemption,  "  Christ  is  all,  and  in  all." 

This  is  called  (Heb.  2  :S)  a  great  salvation :  it  is, 
indeed,  unspeakably  great ;  incomparably  greater 
than  any  deliverance  ever  wrought  for  a  person  or  a 
nation.  It  is  eternal  salvation,  the  blessings  of  it 
extending  to  ail  eternity. 

It  is  a  salvation  from  the  guilt  and  punishment  of 
sin;  a  deliverance  from  the  terrible  wrath  and  anger 
of  a  just  and  offended  God ;  so  that  those  who  are 
interested  in  it  "  have  passed  from  death  unto  life, 
and  shall  never  come  into  condemnation."  It  is  also 
a  deliverance  from  the  tyranny  of  sin,  that  it  should 
no  longer  reign  in  our  mortal  bodies,  but  that  we 
should  be  "  living  sacrifices,"  consecrated  to  God,  It 
is  a  deliverance  from  Satan,  the  great  deceiver  and 
destroyer  of  mankind;  for  all  believers  are  trans- 
lated *'  from  the  power  of  darkness  into  the  kingdom 
of  God's  dear  Son."  It  is  a  deliverance  from  the 
slavery  and  love  of  the  world,  enabling  believers  to 
transfer  their  affections  from  the  trifling  objects  of 
time  and  sense,  and  to  place  them  on  things  spiritual, 
heavenly,  and  divine.  It  is  a  deliverance  from  death ; 
from  the  slavish  fear  of  it,  and  from  the  fatal  sting 
of  it,  which  is  sin.  This  great  salvation  reaches  to 
the  eternal  world ;  to  a  state  of  unspeakable  happi- 
ness and  glory,  in  which  the  spirit,  perfected  in  holi- 
ness, shall,  at  the  resurrection,  be  reunited  to  the 


125]  PEACE    IN   DEATH.  5 

glorified  body,  and  both  be  completely  happy  in  the 
full  enjoyment  of  God  to  all  eternity. 

Well,  then,  might  this  holy  man  of  God  exult  when 
he  took  the  infant  Savior  in  his  arms  !  Well  might 
he  break  forth  into  thanksgiving,  and  bless  God, 
that,  according  to  his  promise,  he  had  lived  to  this 
period,  and  beheld  with  his  own  eyes  "  the  Seed  of 
the  woman,  who  was  to  bruise  the  serpent's  head ;" 
the  Seed  of  Abraham,  "  in  whom  all  nations  should 
be  blessed ;"  the  Seed  of  David,  '*  who  should  sit 
upon  the  throne  and  reign  for  ever." 

We  who  are  now  upon  earth  cannot  expect  the 
same  favor  that  Simeon  enjoyed.  When  Jesus  Christ 
had  finished  the  great  work  he  came  to  earth  to  do, 
he  ascended  up  into  heaven  and  is  no  longer  visible 
to  mortal  eyes ;  but  there  is  another,  and,  indeed,  a 
superior  way  in  which  he  may  now  be  seen ;  and  this 
is  what  we  proposed  in  the  second  place  to  notice^ 

II.  Believers  obtain  a  spiritual  sight  of  Christ. 
Their  faith  supplies  the  place  of  sight ;  for  "  Faith 
is  the  substance  (or  the  confidence)  of  things  hoped 
for,  the  evidence  (or  conviction)  of  things  not  seen." 
Heb.  11:1.  Thus  Moses  endured  his  labors  and  his 
suflferings,  for  "  by  faith  he  saw  Him  who  is  invi- 
sible." Heb.  11 :  27.  He  saw  Him  by  the  eyes  of  his 
mind ;  he  was  fully  persuaded  of  the  truth  of  the 
])romises  God  had  made  to  him ;  he  was  sure  that 
God  would  fulfil  his  word  ;  and,  therefore,  '*  he  for- 
sook Egypt,  not  fearing  the  wrath  of  king  Pharaoh." 
Long  before  his  appearance  on  earth  he  spake  thu§^ 


0  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [126 

by  the  prophet,  (Isaiah,  45 :  22,)  "  Look  unto  me, 
and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth."  As  the 
Old  Testament  saints  looked  to  him  by  faith  before 
his  incarnation,  so  are  we  to  look  at  him  now.  Many 
of  those  who  saw  him  in  Judea,  and  beheld  his 
miracles,  derived  no  spiritual  advantage  from  the 
sight.  Many  of  them  despised  and  rejected  him,  as 
the  prophet  foretold,  ''  He  hath  no  form  nor  comeli- 
ness ;  and  when  we  shall  see  him,  there  is  no  beauty 
that  we  should  desire  him."  There  were,  however, 
a  happy  few,  spiritually  enlightened,  who  could  say, 
"We  beheld  his  glory,  the  glory  as  of  the  only  be- 
gotten of  the  Father,  full  of  grace  and  truth."  We 
may  now  behold  his  spiritual  glory  as  set  forth  in  the 
Gospel.  So  St.  Paul  speaks,  (2  Cor.  3  :  18,)  "  We  all, 
with  open  (or  unveiled)  face,  beholding  as  in  a  glass 
(or  mirror)  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into 
the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord."  The  behevers  of  old  had  only 
the  shadow  of  the  things  of  Christ :  we  may  see 
them  far  more  clearly,  the  true  image  of  heavenly 
things  being  clearly  reflected  in  the  mirror  of  the 
Gospel ;  but  it  is  only  by  the  light  and  teaching  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  that  we  can  thus  see  them.  The 
natural  man  sees  them  not ;  they  must  be  *'  spiri- 
tually discerned :"  and  they  are  so  discerned  when 
the  Holy  Spirit,  whose  special  office  it  is  to  glorify 
Christ  in  the  hearts  of  believers,  takes  of  the  things 
of  Christ,  and  shows  them  unto  us.  Then  we  see  the 
great  salvation,  procured  by  the  obedience  and  death 
of  Jesus,  to  be  exactly  what  we  need.    We  believe 


1^7]  PEACE   IN   DEATH.  7 

the  testimony  of  God  concerning  him ;  we  receive  him 
as  our  Savior,  and  trust  in  him  alone  for  eternal  life. 
There  was  a  very  striking  emblem  of  this  ap- 
pointed by  God,  when  the  children  of  Israel  were 
travelling  to  Canaan  through  the  wilderness.  For 
the  punishment  of  their  sins,  God  sent  fiery  flying 
serpents  among  them,  whose  sting  was  painful  and 
mortal,  so  that  many  of  the  people  died.  Greatly 
alarmed  and  terrified,  they  entreated  Moses  to  pray 
for  them.  He  did  so.  And  the  Lord  heard.  He  or- 
dered Moses  to  form  the  image  of  a  serpent  in  brass^ 
and  then  to  elevate  it  on  a  high  pole  in  the  midst  of 
the  camp,  promising  that  whosoever,  being  bitten, 
should  look  upon  that  figure,  should  live.  It  was 
done :  they  looked,  and  they  lived.  Our  blessed  Sa- 
vior in  his  discourse  with  Nicodemus,  refers  to  this 
miraculous  method  of  cure,  saying,  (John,  3  :  14, 15,) 
"  As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  wilderness, 
even  so  must  the  Son  of  man  be  lifted  up ;  that  who- 
soever believeth  on  him  should  not  perish,  but  have 
everlasting  life."  We  have  been  bitten  by  the  serpent 
of  hell ;  sin,  like  a  venomous  poison,  rankles  in  our 
veins ;  if  a  remedy  be  not  quickly  found  we  must 
perish.  But  a  Savior  is  provided :  he  became  man, 
was  made  in  the  likeness  of  sinful  flesh ;  and  was 
lifted  up,  not  to  an  earthly  throne,  but  on  the  cross, 
where  he  redeemed  us  from  the  curse  by  being  made 
a  curse  for  us  ;  and  now  he  is  lifted  up  in  the  word 
of  the  Gospel,  and  thus  lifted  up,  "he  draws  all  men 
unto  him,"  that  is,  all  who,  feeling  their  need  of  him, 
look  to  him  by  faith,  and  are  healed.  "For  this  is  the 


6  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [126 

will  of  God,  that  everyone  who  (thus)  seeth  the  Son, 
and  beheveth  on  him,  may  have  everlasting  life." 
John,  6 :  40.  Truly  blessed  are  they  who  have  thus 
believed ;  they  look  to  Jesus  and  are  lightened  ;  and 
they  proceed  in  their  heavenly  course,  still  "looking 
to  Jesus,  who  is  the  author  and  finisher  of  their 
faith ;"  and  hoping  in  due  time  to  receive  the  end  of 
their  faith,  even  the  (complete)  salvation  of  their 
souls.  But  they  must  die  before  they  receive  this, 
and  death  is  terrible  to  nature ;  but  it  is  not  so  to 
grace,  for  death  is  become  the  friend,  not  the  enemy 
of  a  Christian ;  and  he  may  now  say,  with  aged  Si- 
meon, "  Lord,  now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart 
in  peace,  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation." 
And  this  is  the  third  thing  we  were  to  consider. 

III.  Those  who,  by  faith,  have  seen  God's  salva- 
tion, are  prepared  to  die,  and  to  die  in  peace. 

The  great  end  of  life  is  answered  when  we  are 
prepared  for  a  better  world ;  for  life  is  but,  as  it 
were,  the  porch  of  eternity.  Believers  should  be 
willing,  at  any  age,  to  depart,  that  they  may  be  with 
Christ ;  but  aged  believers,  especially,  should  be 
ready  and  willing  to  die.  Thus  it  was  with  Abraham, 
the  father  of  the  faithful.  God  had  made  him  a  pro- 
mise, (Gen.  15 :  15,)  that  "  he  should  go  to  his  fathers 
in  peace  ;  he  should  be  buried  in  a  good  old  age ;" 
and  soit  came  to  pass ;  for  thus  we  read,  (Gen.  25 : 8,) 
that  "  Abraham  gave  up  the  ghost,  (or  spirit,)  and 
died  in  a  good  old  age,  (an  hundred  and  seventy-five,) 
an  old  man,  and  full  of  years."    His  old  age  was  a 


129]  PEACE    IN   DEATH.  9 

good  old  age — good  both  in  soul  and  body.  Probably 
he  had  many  infirmities  at  that  very  adv  anced  pe- 
riod ;  but  these,  no  doubt,  were  for  his  good ;  and 
when  the  appointed  hour  came  he  was  quite  willing 
to  die,  for  he  was  full  of  years,  or,  as  it  might  be  ren- 
dered, he  was  satisfied.  He  had  had  enough  of  life  ; 
and  wished  to  be  *'  gathered  to  his  people ;"  his  body 
to  the  congregation  of  the  dead,  his  spirit  to  the 
assembly  of  the  blessed. 

All  believers,  like  Abraham  and  Simeon,  may  well 
be  willing  to  die,  for  they  die  safety,  and  have  cause 
to  die  joyfully ;  safely,  because  death  hath  no  sting 
to  them ;  and  joyfully,  because  death  is  their  gain. 
"  The  sting  of  death  is  sin;"  it  was  by  sin  that  death 
entered  into  the  world,  and  the  fear  of  the  deserved 
punishment  of  sin  in  a  future  state  is  that  which 
chiefly  renders  death  terrible.  But  Jesus  Christ,  the 
second  Adam,  has  brought  life  into  the  world ;  he 
took  our  nature,  and  by  his  obedience  unto  death 
'*  brought  in  an  everlasting  righteousness,"  which  is 
upon  all  that  believe,  so  that  "there  is  no  condem- 
nation to  them ;"  they  "  have  passed  from  death  unto 
life,  and  shall  never  come  into  condemnation."  "  He 
that  believeth  in  me,"  saith  Christ,  "  shall  never 
die ;"  he  shall  not  die  eternally — shall  not  undergo 
"the  second  death."  Death  hath  changed  both  its 
nature  and  name ;  it  is  now  called  a  sleep.  Our  Lord 
said  of  Lazarus,  when  a  corpse,  *'  Our  friend  Laza- 
rus sleepeth,  but  I  go  that  I  may  awake  him  out  of 
sleep."  He  did  so  by  raising  him  from  the  grave ; 
and  in  like  manner,  all  they  "  who  sleep  in  Jesus 


10  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [130 

shall  God  bring  with  him."  Blessed,  therefore,  are 
they  "  who  die  in  the  Lord,  for  they  rest  from  their 
labors,  and  their  works  follow  them. 

Simeon  was  not  only  willing  to  die,  but  desirous  of 
dying.  He  begs  permission  to  depart— not  to  cease 
to  exist ;  but  being  "  absent  from  the  body,  to  be 
present  with  the  Lord."  The  believer's  desire  of 
death  should  not  be  merely  to  obtain  deliverance 
from  the  infirmities  of  age,  or  severe  pains  and  dis- 
eases of  body,  though  such  deliverance  may,  in  sub- 
mission to  the  divine  will,  be  lawfully  desired ;  but 
rather  to  be  *'  delivered  from  the  burden  of  the 
flesh ;"  "  the  law  in  the  members  which  wars  against 
the  law  of  the  mind;"  to  be  perfected  in  hohness;  to 
join  the  general  assembly  of  just  men  made  perfect; 
and,  above  all,  to  be  with  Jesus,  "the  Mediator  of 
the  new  covenant,"  the  precious  Redeemer ;  to  be- 
hold his  glory,  to  see  his  face,  to  sing  his  praise,  and 
to  be  for  ever  with  the  Lord,  Thus  "  to  live  is  Christ ! 
thus  to  die  is  gain !" 


CONCLUSION. 

And  now,  will  not  every  reader  say,  "Let  me  die 
the  death  of  righteous  Simeon,  and  let  my  last  end 
be  like  his." 

O  let  me  die  his  death !  all  nature  cries — 
Then  live  his  life — all  nature  falters  there* 


131]  PEACE    IN   DEATH.  11 

What  was  the  life  of  Simeon?  He  was  just.  Are 
you  so?  He  was  devout.  Are  you  so?  He  waited  for 
the  consolation  of  Israel.  Do  you  look  for  consola- 
tion in  Christ  ?  or  in  sinful  indulgences,  in  the  lusts 
of  the  flesh,  in  the  vanities  of  the  world  ?  If  you 
have  lived  an  ungodly  life,  and  neglected  the  great 
salvation,  how  can  you  expect  to  die  in  peace  ?  O 
then,  seek  the  Lord  in  earnest  prayer,  and  without 
a  moment's  delay,  lest  the  things  that  belong  to  your 
peace  should  be  for  ever  hidden  from  your  eyes. 
Still  he  calls  you ;  he  knocks  at  the  door  of  your 
hearts.  O  admit  the  Savior ;  embrace  him,  like  Si- 
meon, in  the  arms  of  your  faith,  and  then  your  end, 
like  his,  will  be  peace. 

Let  aged  Christians  be  reconciled  to  death.  It 
does  not  become  an  aged  believer  to  be  unwilling  to 
die.  You  have  lived  many  years ;  the  greater  part 
of  your  friends  have  gone  before  you.  "Gird  up  the 
loins  of  your  mind.  Be  sober  and  hope  to  the  end." 
Yet  a  little  while,  a  little  longer  exercise  of  faith 
and  patience,  and  He  that  shall  come  will  come,  and 
will  not  tarry. 


PRAYER. 


O  eternal,  almighty,  and  most  gracious  God,  thou 
didst  permit  sin  to  enter  into  this  world,  and  death 
by  sin,  so  that  death  passeth  upon  all  men,  for  all 
have  sinned.   I  have  sinned,  O  Lord,  and  know,  as- 


12  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [132 

suredly,  that  thou  wilt  bring  me  to  the  grave,  to  the 
house  appointed  for  all  living.  Death  is  terrible  to 
nature,  and  it  is  an  awful  thing  to  die.  It  is  sin  that 
makes  it  so,  for  the  sting  of  death  is  sin  :  therefore, 
O  most  merciful  God,  who  in  thine  infinite  love  didst 
give  thy  dear  Son  to  die  for  sinners,  the  just  for  the 
unjust ;  grant  me,  by  faith,  an  interest  in  Jesus,  who 
is  the  life.  I  desire  to  look  to  him,  and  believe  in 
him,  as  able  and  willing  to  save  the  chief  of  sinners, 
to  save  even  me,  an  aged  sinner,  on  the  brink  of  the 
grave  and  of  eternity.  O  thou  God  of  peace,  grant 
to  me  joy  and  peace  in  believing ;  and  especially  in 
a  dying  hour :  and  when  that  solemn  hour  shall 
come,  enable  me  to  say,  with  holy  Simeon,  Lord, 
now  lettest  thou  thy  servant  depart  in  peace,  for 
mine  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation. 


PtfBtlSHED  BI   THE   AMERICAN   TRACT   gOGIETT. 


sB&Koars  TO  tbs  AaB3>....»ro.  12. 


THE  CHRISTIAN'S   LAST  PRAYER. 


Lord  Jems,  receive  my  spirit. — ^Acts,  7 :  59. 

"  It  is  appointed  unto  men  once  to  die."  "  We 
must  needs  die."  "  There  is  no  discharge  in  that 
war."  Now,  as  death  is  certain  and  unavoidable,  and 
as  the  consequences  of  death  are  of  eternal  impor- 
tance, the  greatest  concern  of  life  is  to  be  prepared 
to  die,  to  die  with  safety,  to  die  in  peace,  and  with 
the  joyful,  well-founded  hope  of  eternal  life.  Thus 
Stephen,  the  first  Christian  martyr,  died.  He  was  a 
good  man,  "  full  of  faith,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost ;" 
and  a  bold  preacher  of  Jesus  Christ ;  by  which  he 
incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  Jews,  who  falsely  ac- 
cased  him  of  blasphemy,  and  with  savage  fury  stoned 
him  to  death.  But  the  Savior,  for  whom  he  suffered, 
appeared  to  him  in  a  glorious  vision ;  he  felt  no  fear ; 
but  trusting  in  Jesus,  he  committed  his  departing 
soul  into  his  hands,  saying,  *'  Lord  Jesus  receive  my 
spirit ;"  and  then  offering  one  petition  more,  "  Lord, 
lay  not  this  sin  to  their  charge,"  "  he  fell  asleep," 
dying  amidst  a  shower  of  stones,  with  as  much  com 
posure  as  a  person  falls  asleep. 


3  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGEDc  [134 

Who  would  not  wish  to  die  as  Stephen  did  ?  Not 
indeed  by  the  hand  of  violence,  but  with  as  much 
peace  and  composure  of  spirit.  Is  not  this  especially 
desirable  to  the  aged,  who  know  that  according  to 
the  course  of  nature  their  dying  hour  cannot  be  very 
distant,  and  most  likely  is  very  near.  Let  us,  then, 
contemplate  the  death  of  Stephen,  and  see  what 
were  the  grounds  and  reasons  of  that  happy  state  of 
mind  which  he  then  enjoyed,  and  with  a  fervent  desire 
that  we  also  may  "  die  the  death  of  the  righteous," 
and  that  our  end  may  be  peaceful  like  his.  For  this 
purpose  we  shall  make  a  few  observations. 

1.  We  may  observe  that  Stephen^  on  the  approach 
of  death,  resorted  to  prayer.  He  did  not  then  begin  to 
pray.  He  was  a  man  of  prayer.  This  is  certain,  for 
he  was  "  a  man  full  of  faith,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Every  believer  prays  continually,  and  his  faith  is 
peculiarly  exercised  in  his  prayers ;  and  a  principal 
work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  to  assist  us  in  praying. 
But  prayer,  which  is  always  needful,  is  especially  so 
when  the  hour  of  our  departure  is  at  hand.  Then, 
when  flesh  and  heart  are  failing,  when  we  are  closing 
our  eyes  upon  this  world,  when  the  state  of  our  pro- 
bation is  concluding,  when,  perhaps,  the  tempter  is 
making  his  last  effort  to  distress  us,  when  we  are 
just  about  to  appear  before  the  tribunal  of  God,  and 
to  enter  upon  an  unknown,  untried,  unchangeable 
state;  then,  then  assuredly,  prayer  is  essentially  ne- 
cessary, if  indeed  we  are  then,  which  is  not  always 
tlie  case,  in  possession  of  our  mental  powers,  and 


135] 

not  rendered  incapable  of  prayer  by  the  extremity  of 
pain  and  suffering,  or  delirium.  Yes,  as  it  is  good  to 
live  praying-,  it  is  also  good  to  die  praying,  "  for  we 
need  the  strength  we  never  had,  to  do  the  work  we 
never  did." 

Observation  2.  Stephen's  prayer  shows  that  his 
grand  concern  was  for  his  immortal  spirit.  He  con- 
sidered the  value  of  his  soul  when  he  first  embraced 
the  Gospel  and  believed  in  Jesus  for  its  salvation ; 
when  he  risked  his  character  and  his  life  by  espous- 
ing his  persecuted  cause :  and  now,  when  death,  in 
an  awful  form,  stared  him  in  the  face,  he  discovers 
no  anxiety  for  life,  no  fear  of  death,  nor  prays  for 
the  interposition  of  miraculous  power  to  rescue,  him 
from  his  bloody  foes ;  for  he  knew  that  God  could 
easily  have  delivered  him  out  of  their  hands ;  but  his 
whole  eoncern  is  for  the  immortal  spirit,  which  would 
soon  be  separated  from  the  mortal  body.  He  had 
uniformly  acted  according  to  that  grand  maxim  of 
our  Lord,  implied  in  the  question,  "What  shall  it 
profit  a  man  if  he  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul,  or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for 
his  soul  ?"  And  now  he  dies  depending  on  the  grace 
and  faithfulness  of  Christ,  who  said,  "  He  that  loseth 
his  life  for  my  sake  shall  find  it."  He  regarded  the 
direction  of  his  Master,  "  Fear  not  them  which  kill 
the  body,  but  are  not  able  to  kill  the  soul."  Matt. 
10  :  28.  The  power  of  men  was  limited  to  the 
body ;  the  soul  was  out  of  their  reach  ;  and  he  com- 
mits it,  in  this  short  prayer,  to  Jesus,  his  God  and 


4  ,  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [136 

Savior,  who  would  receive  it,  and  make  it  happy 
for  ever. 

Observation  3.  The  spirit  of  man  dies  not  with 
the  hodi/,  but  passes  into  a  new  state  of  existence.  So 
Stephen  assuredly  believed,  or  he  would  not  have 
offered  this  petition.  If  he  had  thought,  as  some  do, 
that  the  spirit  ceases  to  live  and  act  at  death,  he 
would  have  committed  his  body,  and  not  his  spirit,  to 
Christ,  looking  only  for  the  resurrection  of  that  body 
at  the  last  day.  The  testimony  of  Scripture  is  clear 
and  full  on  this  head.  When  Solomon  speaks  of  the 
infirmities  of  age  and  their  issue  in  death,  he  says, 
■'  Then  shall  the  dust  return  to  the  earth,  as  it  was ; 
and  the  spirit  shall  return  unto  God,  who  gave  it." 
Eccl.  12  :  7.  The  body,  doomed,  by  the  original  sen- 
tence on  the  first  transgressor,  to  death  and  dissolu- 
tion, returns  to  the  earth  ft'om  which  it  was  taken ; 
but  the  spirit  does  not  die ;  it  returns  to  the  God  who 
gave  it;  it  goes  to  God  as  a  judge,  to  give  an  ac- 
count of  itself,  and  to  exist  either  with  the  "  spirits 
in  prison,"  (1  Peter,  3 :  19,)  or  with  "  the  spirits  of 
just  men  made  perfect,"  in  the  paradise  of  God. 
Happy  they,  who,  by  faith  in  Christ,  the  Mediator, 
have  committed  their  souls  unto  his  merciful  and 
faithful  hands ;  a  believer  may  then,  in  imitation  of 
our  Lord  himself,  commit  his  spirit  into  the  hands 
of  his  Father,  and  say,  "  Thou  hast  redeemed  me, 
O  Lord  God  of  truth."  Thou  hast  '*  redeemed 
me  to  God  by  thy  blood."  I  am  thine ;  save  me. 
Receive  the   spirit   thou  hast   redeemed,   and  let 


137]  THE  christian's  last  prayer.  5 

me  receive  "the  end  of  my  faith,  the  salvation  o^ 
my  soul." 

That  the  human  spirit  lives  after  the  death  of  the 
body,  is  a  most  "  wholesome  doctrine,  and  very  full 
of  comfort ;"  and  the  following  texts  of  Scripture 
fully  confirm  it.   Our  Savior  said  to  the  dying  male- 
factor on  the  cross,  "Verily  I  say  unto  thee,  to-day 
shalt  thou  be  with  me  in  paradise."  Luke,  23 :  43. 
Our  Lord,  referring  to  the  title  of  Jehovah,  as  "the 
God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God 
of  Jacob,"  said,  "  God  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but 
of  the  living  ;"  surely,  then,  these  patriarchs,  though 
their  bodies  had  been  many  ages  in  the  grave,  were 
then  living  in  spirit.  St.  Paul,  referring  to  a  miracu- 
lous manifestation  of  God  to  him,  says,  that  "  whether 
he  was  then  in  the  body,  or  out  of  the  body,  he  could 
not  tell,"  (2  Cor.  12 : 2,  3,)  which  proves  his  behef 
that  the  spirit  may  exist  when  separate  from  the 
body.    The  parable  of  Lazarus  and  the  rich  man, 
(Luke,  16,)  shows  that  the  spirits  of  both  existed 
after  their  death ;  and  the  rich  man,  then  in  tor- 
ments, desired  that  a  messenger  might  be  sent  to  his 
surviving  brethren  on  earth  to  warn  them  of  their 
danger.   The  apostle  Paul,  when  speaking  of  beino 
in  a  strait  between  two,  not   knowing  whether  to 
prefer  living  longer  in  the  world,  or  dying  out  of  it, 
says,  "  for  me  to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain.^' 
To  live  longer  in  the  world  would  be  better  for  the 
church ;  but  to  die,  and  "  to  be  with  Christ  is,"  said 
he,  "  far  better"  for  myself.  Phil.  1  :  21—23.   But  if 
the  spirit  does  not  survive  the  body,  his  death  would 


{j  SERMONS   TO    THE   AGED.  [I3§ 

not  be  gain  to  himself,  while  it  would  be  a  serious 
loss  to  the  church. 

Another  text  is  remarkably  plaiil  and  decisive : 
(2  Cor.  5  :  8,)  St.  Paul,  speaking  of  the  assurance  of 
faith  and  hope,  which  he  and  others  possessed,  says, 
''  We  are  always  confident,  knowing  that  whilst  we 
are  at  home  in  the  hody,  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord; 
we  are  confident,  I  say,  and  willing  rather  to  be 
absent  from  the  hody^  and  present  with  the  LordJ'^  He 
had  not  a  doubt  that  the  moment  he  should  die,  and 
the  spirit  be  absent  from  the  body,  he  should  be  pre- 
sent with  the  Lord,  according  to  our  Lord's  own 
prayer  for  his  disciples,  "  Father,  I  will  that  they 
also  whom  thou  hast  given  me  be  icith  me,  where  I 
am,  that  they  may  behold  my  glory."  John,  17 :  24. 

Observation  4.  In  the  last  place,  we  observe  that 
f  he  prayer  of  Stephen  expresses  his  confidence  in  Christ, 
as  able  to  receive  and  bless  his  separate  spirit.  The 
Christian,  whose  life  "  in  the  flesh  has  been  a  life  of 
faith  in  the  Son  of  God,"  must  also  die  in  faith ;  he 
lived,  trusting  in  an  unseen  Savior ;  and  he  ventures 
by  the  same  faith  into  the  unseen  world.  "Jesus 
Christ  has  brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  by 
the  Gospel,"  and  clearly  revealed  the  future  and  eter- 
nal state ;  but  yet  we  are  only  partially  acquainted 
with  the  nature  of  it.  *'  It  doth  not  yet  appear  what 
we  shall  be ;"  but  it  is  our  happiness  to  know  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  has  dominion  over  the  world  of  spirits. 
When  he  appeared  in  Patmos,  to  John  his  beloved 
disciple,  he  uttered  these  encouraging  words,  "  Fear 


139] 

not ;  I  am  the  First  and  the  Last :  I  am  He  that 
liveth,  and  was  dead ;  and,  behold,  I  am  aUve  for 
evermore,  Amen ;  and  have  the  keys  of  hell  (or 
rather  of  the  invisible  world)  and  of  death."  Rev. 
1 :  18.  The  future  world  is,  as  yet,  to  us,  the  invi- 
sible world :  so  it  is  represented  not  only  in  the  Old 
but  in  the  New  Testament ;  but  Christ  has  the  key 
of  it ;  he  has  also  the  key  of  deaths  by  which  be- 
lievers pass  into  it.  Admission  into  heaven  is  at 
the  disposal  of  Christ ;  "he  opens  the  kingdom  oi 
heaven  to  all  believers."  The  Christian  therefore 
has  nothing  to  fear ;  but  may,  with  cheerful  confi- 
dence, pray,  with  dying  Stephen,  "  Lord  Jesus,  re- 
ceive my  spirit." 

This  holy  confidence  may  safely  rest  on  the  power, 
the  GRACE,  and  the  faithfulness  of  Jesus  Christ. 

1.  The  POWER  of  Christ.  When  Jesus  was  about 
to  ascend  up  into  heaven,  he  said,  "  All  power  is 
given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  in  earth."  On  earth 
he  is  King  of  kings  and  Lord  of  lords.  All  nations, 
with  their  whole  population,  from  the  prince  to  the 
peasant,  are  under  his  control.  "  He  is  Lord  of  all." 
And  his  dominion  extends  to  all  worlds,  and  all  their 
inhabitants.  He  has  also  all  power  in  heaven;  for  he 
is  "far  above  all  principality,  and  power,  and  might, 
and  dominion,  and  every  name  that  is  named,  not 
only  in  this  world,  but  also  in  that  which  is  to  come." 
This  Stephen  believed ;  and  therefore  with  confi- 
dence committed  his  soul  to  Christ,  almost  in  the 
same  words  which  our  Savior  on  the  cross  addressed 
to  God  the  Father.    Surely,  then,  Stephen  beheved 


8  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [140 

in  the  proper  divinity  of  the  Redeemer,  for  this  was 
the  most  solemn  act  of  worship  imaginable ;  and  had 
he  addressed  this  prayer  to  any  other  than  the  true 
God,  he  would  have  been  guilty  of  an  act  of  idolatry, 
in  his  last  moments,  which  it  is  impossible  to  beheve. 
But  he  "  knew  whom  he  had  believed,"  and  was 
satisfied  that  He  was  able  to  keep  that  sacred  de- 
posit which  he  had  committed  unto  him ;  for  he  is 
*'  able  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  who  come  unto 
God  by  him,  seeing  he  ever  liveth  to  make  interces- 
sion for  them." 

2.  Stephen  knew  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  who,  though  eternally  rich,  for  our  sakes 
became  poor,  that  we,  through  his  poverty,  might 
become  rich  for  ever.  Stephen  was  an  early  disciple 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  probably  one  of  the  hundred  and 
twenty  who  kept  close  to  the  apostles  ;  it  is  likely 
that  he  had  heard  him  preach ;  that  he  had  witnessed 
his  miracles ;  beheld  his  agony  on  the  cross ;  had 
seen  him  after  his  resurrection  ;  and  perhaps  saw 
him  ascend  from  Mount  Olivet.  He  was  one  of  those 
who  "beheld  his  glory;"  not  the  worldly  glory  of  a 
Solomon,  but  the  brighter  "glory  of  the  only  begot- 
ten Son  of  God,  full  of  grace  and  truth."  Could  he 
then  doubt  the  grace  of  Christ,  or  suspect  a  change 
in  the  affections  of  his  heart  ?  No ;  he  believed  that 
Jesus  was  "  the  same  yesterday,  to-day,  and  for 
ever."  But  had  he  doubted  this,  every  doubt  would 
have  been  banished  from  his  mind  when,  "  looking 
up  steadfastly  into  heaven,  he  saw  the  glory  of  God. 
and  Jesus  standing  at  the  right  hand  of  God,"  ready 


141]  THE   christian's   LAST   PRAYER.  9 

to  receive  him.  Well,  then,  might  he,  with  perfect 
conjfidence,  offer  this  petition,  "  Lord  Jesus,  receive 
my  spirit." 

3.  The  FAITHFULNESS  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  His 
word  was  pledged  :  "I  give  unto  my  sheep  eternal 
life ;  and  they  shall  never  perish,  neither  shall  any 
pluck  them  out  of  my  hand."  He  knew  that  it  was 
"  impossible  for  God  to  lie  ;"  and  therefore  he  en- 
joyed "  strong  consolation  ;"  the  anchor  of  his  soul 
entered  within  the  veil,  whither  Jesus,  the  forerunner 
for  him,  had  entered ;  thus  his  soul  was  kept  sure 
and  steadfast,  unmoved  by  the  storm  now  bursting 
on  his  head ;  and  with  a  holy  triumph  over  all  his 
foes,  he  cries,  "  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit." 

A  moment  of  Hfe  remains.  And  how  was  it  em- 
ployed? All  was  safe  for  himself;  but  his  enemies, 
his  cruel  enemies,  who  now  added  the  crime  of 
murder  to  the  sin  of  unbelief,  what  must  become  of 
them  ?  For  them  he  feels  a  deep  concern  ;  and  like 
his  blessed  Master,  who  prayed  for  his  executioners, 
"  Father  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do,"  he  offers  his  last  petition,  "  Lord,  lay  not  this 
sin  to  their  charge."  Oh,  what  a  charming  instance 
was  this  of  the  power  of  divine  grace  in  his  heart ! 
What  a  lovely  effect  of  the  religion  of  Christ !  and  * 
what  a  powerful  recommendation  of  his  religion  to 
the  spectators !  Among  these,  and  among  the  most 
furious  of  his  murderers,  was  Saul  of  Tarsus,  for- 
ward to  assist  in  the  destruction  of  this  holy  man  of 
God.  Surely  Stephen's  prayer  was  heard,  at  least  for 
him,  who,  a  few  years  after,  was  converted  to  Christ, 


10  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [142 

obtained  mercy,  and  became  a  preacher  of  the  faith 
which  he  tried  to  destroy,  and  at  length  a  martyr ,^ 
like  Stephen,  for  Christ. 


The  triumphant  death  of  this  first  Christian 
martyr  affords  a  strong  confirmation  of  the  truth  of 
the  Gospel.  Those  who,  like  Stephen,  had  the  best 
opportunity  of  examining  the  evidences  of  Christ's 
mission,  and  who  must  have  detected  any  arts  of 
deception,  if  such  there  had  been,  were  so  firmly 
convinced  of  the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  of  the  holy 
religion  which  he  founded,  that  they  adhered  to  him 
in  the  face  of  the  most  cruel  and  furious  opposition, 
gladly  forsook  all  for  his  sake,  and  willingly  met 
death  in  its  most  horrible  forms,  that  they  might 
seal  their  testimony  to  its  truth  with  their  blood. 

Do  we  cordially  receive  this  Gospel  ?  Do  ive  know 
it  to  be  the  power  of  God  to  our  own  salvation  ? 
Have  we  that  faith  in  Jesus  which  works  by  love ; 
which  purifies  the  soul ;  which  brings  peace  into  our 
consciences,  and  love  into  our  hearts  ?  which  cruci- 
fies us  to  the  world,  and  the  world  to  us?  Have 
we  committed  our  souls  to  Christ  by  faith,  so  that 
our  dependance  is  on  him  alone  for  salvation  and 
eternal  life  ? 

If  not,  how  shall  we  dare  to  meet  the  king  of 
terrors  ?  When  death  approaches,  and  we  find  our- 
selves on  the  brink  of  eternity,  what  shall  reconcile 
us  to  dissolution,  and  enable  us,  without  dismay,  to 
venture  into  the  unknown  world?  How  necessary 


143]  THE    christian's    last    PnAYER.  11 

then  is  it,  without  delay,  to  flee  to  this  only  refuge, 
and  to  cry,  "  Lord,  save  us,  or  we  perish  !"  He  is 
able  to  save ;  he  is  .viliing  to  save,  even  to  the  utter- 
most. "  Now  then  we  are  ambassadors  for  Christ, 
as  though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us :  we  pray  you, 
in  Christ's  stead,  be  ye  reconciled  to  God." 

And  let  Stephen's  courage  and  comfort  in  his  last 
moments  encourage  and  comfort  every  believer  in 
Jesus.  We  cannot  expect  such  a  glorious  vision  of 
Christ  as  he  had ;  but  by  faith  we  may  "  behold 
the  Lamb  of  God,  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the 
world,"  now  on  the  throne  ;  we  may  behold  him  as 
our  gracious  Advocate  and  Intercessor ;  and  we  may 
hope,  that  after  a  life  of  humble  faith,  and  holy  obe- 
dience, "  an  entrance  will  be  administered  unto  us 
abundantly  into  the  everlasting  kingdom  of  our  Lord 
and  Savior  Jesus  Christ."    Amen. 


PRAYER. 

O  most  merciful  God  and  Savior,  enable  me,  by 
thy  Holy  Spirit,  so  to  number  my  days  that  I  may 
apply  my  heart  to  wisdom,  and  thus  make  it  the 
chief  concern  of  my  remaining  life  to  be  prepared 
for  death  and  heaven.  Thou,  O  God,  art  the  only 
refuge  and  hope  of  a  sinner.  To  thee  I  now  look  up 
for  mercy  and  grace ;  mercy  to  pardon  all  my  sins, 
and  grace  to  help  in  every  time  of  need,  and  espe- 
cially for  that  help  which  I  shall  need  in  the  hour 
of  death. 


12  SERMONS  TO  THE  AGED.  [144 

I  desire  to  commit  my  soul  into  thy  hands,  O  faith- 
ful Creator  and  most  merciful  Savior,  and  humbly 
beseech  thee  that  it  may  be  precious  in  thy  sight. 
Wash  me,  I  pray  thee,  in  the  blood  of  that  immacu- 
late Lamb,  who  was  slain  to  take  away  the  sin  of 
the  world ;  that  whatever  defilement  it  may  have  con- 
tracted in  this  miserable  and  wicked  world,  through 
the  lusts  of  the  flesh  or  the  wiles  of  Satan,  being 
purged  and  done  away,  it  may  be  presented  pure  and 
without  spot  before  thee.  When  the  hour  of  death 
arrives,  deliver  me  from  that  fear  of  the  last  enemy; 
lift  up  the  light  of  thy  countenance  upon  me,  and  give 
me  peace.    Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.  Amen. 


PUBLISHED   BY   THE   AMERICAN   TRACT   SOCIETY. 


^€^^>^ 


THE  AMERICAN   TRACT  SOCIETY, 


TN  ADDITION  TO  BETWEEN  FOUR  AND  FIVE  HUNDRED 


TRACTS 


CHILDREN'S  TRACTS, 

HAVE    PUBLISHED   SEVERAL 

OCCASIONAL.  VOLUMES, 

OF  A 

HIGHLY  SPIRITUAL  AJNt)  EVANGELICAL 

CHARACTER, 

Which  are  sold  at  the  lowest  prices,  with  reference  to  pro- 
moting their  most  extensive  circulation  and  usefulness.  . 

AMONG   THESE   OCCASIONAL   VOLUMES,   ARE 

Doddridge's  Rise  and  Progress  of  Religion  in  the 
Soul. 

Baxter's  Saints'  Everlasting  Rest. 

Twelve  Sermons  to  the  Aged,  (in  large  type).  By 
Rev.  George  Burder. 

CHRISTIAN   BIOGRAPHY,  VIZ. 

1.  Memoir  of  Rev.  John  Newton. 

2.  do.      of  Archbishop  Leighton. 

3.  do.       of  Rev.  C.  F.  Swartz,  Missionary  to 
India. 

^  *   To  which,  other  publications  of  a  kindred  character 
will,  from  time  to  time,  be  added. 


4872  YBx^315i 

-CC     791  OR        rc       fei 


ri'nfi'°"  ^''^°'°9i<:al  Semrnary-Speer 


1    1012  01113  7389 


DATE  DUE 

^'  -'  ^  %_ 

^  > 

■   '^'  r' 

vy 

^"^ 

HIGHSMITH  #^ 

i5230 

Printed 
In  USA 

